NADA New York: Marcus Manganni

Trotter&Sholer is thrilled to present a solo booth by New York City based artist Marcus Manganni at NADA NY 2026. Marcus Mangann’s artistic practice is a critical reorientation and redefinition of the Light and Space movement. Emerging from a lineage shaped by artists such as James Turrell and Robert Irwin, Manganni’s approach does not simply extend their investigations into perception it fundamentally transforms them. Where Light and Space historically pursued the conditions of seeing as phenomenological and ostensibly neutral, Manganni asserts that perception is never autonomous. It is structured—by architecture, by systems of control, and by the social realities that determine how space is experienced. In this shift, he introduces a necessary urgency into the movement, repositioning it within the complexities of the present. Maganni’s contextual understandings of the aesthetics of the movement allow for him to introduce an unexpected tactility to the work through the use of unorthodox materials such as cut razor blades or archival items. He is thus able to draw on a wider set of influences, such as Alberto Burri and Lucio Fontana, while remaining rooted in the minimal and controlled aesthetics of the Light and Space tradition.

The works presented at NADA speak directly to both harm and healing of place. End to End Burners is a large scale and imposing chandelier that casts shadows rather than emitting light. Each chandelier crystal is a hand formed handle, reminiscent of a toothbrush, with a hand-clipped razor blade inserted. These are prison burners, objects of violence and protection for many incarcerated citizens living inside a system of violence and control.

Manganni’s Gauze series also explore themes of violence and restoration. His canvases have been methodically covered in lines of surgical bandage, reminiscent of Alberto Buri. They incorporate fluorescent lights wrapped in a dichroic vinyl that is emblematic of many of Manganni’s sculptures. Both the bandages and the fluorescent lights refer to kinds of institutional violence. Prisons often have fluorescent lights on 24/7, warping the perception of time and sometimes causing skin irritation for those living under them. The materials and their use imply harm, but also point to healing. Bandages are protective and restorative.