NEW YORK, NY.- Avant Arte founders Christian Luiten and Curtis Penning and curator Caio Twombly - part of a new generation of influential tastemakers in the contemporary art world - have collaborated to curate a pop-up exhibition in a former car showroom at 132 Perry St, West Village, NY. Opening post Frieze New York, Mutants runs from May 10th through to May 20th, 2018. This is the online art platform’s second exhibition, following their sold-out collaboration with Unit London in 2017, and their first venture in the United States. In an exhibition inspired by the theme of hybrids and mutants, artists include Caroline Wells Chandler, Kari Cholnoky, Lily Gavin, Robert Nava and Kai & Adrian Schachter.

In 2015 with no prior knowledge of the art world Luiten and Penning began documenting online their personal obsession ‘pursuing the Picassos of our time’. Their passion for discovering young talent has led them to be selected for Forbes 30 Under 30, and Avant Arte declared as one of the most influential art world Instagram accounts by The Huffington Post. In three years Avant Arte has created a global community of contemporary art enthusiasts, employing the power of social media to attract an unprecedented 1 million followers – including leading art world figures Hans Ulrich Obrist, Simon de Pury, philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen and photographer Nick Knight.

Avant Arte now combines online and offline initiatives with the aim of empowering a new generation of artists and collectors. In May 2017 Avant Arte launched AA Editions collaborating with artists including Jules de Balincourt, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Katrin Fridriks and Dan Houldsworth on series of limited edition prints, offering an entry point for collectors of the future whilst enabling galleries to reach out to new audiences. Sales so far exceed 7 sold out editions from the 11 launched with many editions selling out within hours.

Caio Twombly belongs to an artistic dynasty, his father Alessandro Twombly is an acclaimed sculptor, and his grandfather the legendary Abstract Expressionist, Cy Twombly. Aged 21, Caio Twombly has quickly established a reputation for thought-provoking curation, often working with artists Kai and Adrian Schacter.

Avant Arte founders Christian Luiten and Curtis Penning said: “We are excited to combine our ‘outsider’ take on contemporary art with Caio Twombly’s ‘insider’ knowledge in our first US initiative. Instagram is an astonishing visual medium, but we are aware it cannot replicate the physical experience of seeing art in real life. This is an incredible opportunity to work with Caio Twombly to showcase some of the most dynamic young artists working today.”