Spielzeug Gallery, a nomadic curatorial project founded by Evan Karas, opened a temporary brick-and-mortar space at 131 Chrystie Street in New York through a collaboration with 1 Day at a Time, an enterprise that helps nomadic creatives secure footholds in the city. The inaugural exhibition, “TOYS! TOYS! TOYS!”, featured works by Thomas Liu Le Lann, Josh Rabineau, and Michelle Im, exploring themes of control, psychosexuality, and the interplay of objects and space. The gallery’s model, described as an “itinerant fantasy,” has previously staged shows in venues including a Czech bunker, a party bus, and a Bushwick apartment.
This article matters because it highlights the ongoing struggle for small galleries to survive New York’s rent crisis and the innovative, precarious models emerging in response. Spielzeug’s approach—combining chaos, pleasure, and survival—reflects a broader trend of alternative exhibition spaces that prioritize imaginative freedom over commercial stability, offering a fragile but vital counterpoint to the city’s high-stakes art market. The piece also underscores how younger curators like Karas are redefining gallery practice through collaboration and adaptability.