ART & DESIGN

An Upper East Side Mansion Unlike Any You’ve Ever Seen

by Steph Eckardt

Mickalene Thomas

When a group of artists including Mickalene Thomas were invited to transform an unoccupied apartment in a beaux arts townhouse on E. 70th St., they went wild with color as they transformed the space into a house the likes of which the otherwise sedate neighborhood had never seen. Thank No Longer Empty, a nonprofit New York arts group that sets up art installations in unused spaces, for the jolt of pizzazz. As of April 18, entry to “Be My Guest,” as the installation is called, is free, though only by appointment; the rest of the building is decidedly not abandoned.

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The living room, featuring photo prints and collages by Mickalene Thomas and a sofa painted by Ena Swansea.

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The living room, featuring photo prints and collages by Mickalene Thomas.

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The living room, featuring photo prints and collages by Mickalene Thomas.

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The living room, featuring photo prints and collages by Mickalene Thomas and a sofa painted by Ena Swansea.

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The hall, featuring a mirror by Misha Kahn.

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“Ghost of a Dream,” featuring $70,000 worth of discarded lottery cards and Hermès dishware, by artist duo Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was.

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“Ghost of a Dream,” featuring $70,000 worth of discarded lottery cards and Hermès dishware, by artist duo Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was.

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“Ghost of a Dream,” featuring $70,000 worth of discarded lottery cards and Hermès dishware, by artist duo Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was.

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“Ghost of a Dream,” featuring $70,000 worth of discarded lottery cards and Hermès dishware, by artist duo Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was.

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“Ghost of a Dream,” featuring $70,000 worth of discarded lottery cards and Hermès dishware, by artist duo Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was.

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“Ghost of a Dream,” featuring $70,000 worth of discarded lottery cards and Hermès dishware, by artist duo Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was.

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A closet with “Rapture,” a structure of over 300 necklaces, by Jean Shin.

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Jean Chin’s “Grafted Settings (Tree)” is made of used cutlery and situated near the dining room.

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The master bedroom, “El Nido,” by Teresa Diehl.

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The master bedroom, “El Nido,” by Teresa Diehl.

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The master bedroom, “El Nido,” by Teresa Diehl.