Thirty years after its opening, AREA, the nightclub that defined the 1980s in New York City, and invented the nightclub as “art”, is celebrated with: AREA, a 387-page book published by Abrams, a week-long exhibit at The Hole, a dance party at the Bowery Hotel, plus an AREA-themed window at Bergdorf Goodman.The fabled nightclub opened its doors in September 1983 and virtually overnight it became the nexus of the downtown scene in New York City. It was the place where people went to see and be seen. It was the brainchild of four young guys from California—Eric Goode, Shawn Hausman, Christopher Goode and Darius Azari. Their vision was to create an art project on a monumental scale. Every five or six weeks they gutted the enormous space at 157 Hudson Street and transformed it into a spectacularly realized theme: Suburbia, Natural History, Gnarly, Art, and Fashion, to name a few.
Opening at The Hole on November 5th, AREA: The Exhibition presents the art and concepts that made the club, including works created for AREA by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Francesco Clemente, Chuck Close, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Barbra Kruger, Sol Lewitt, LeRoy Neiman, Maripol, Larry Rivers, Kenny Scharf, Julian Schnabel, Survival Research Labs and many more, alongside rare ephemera and new works inspired by the club from artists including Tom Sachs, Steve Powers and Todd James, Misaki Kawai and Ben Jones. Dozens of photographs, many never before exhibited, document the New York of the 80s at its most exotic. In its time, AREA brought installation and performance art to a new and broad audience. For the opening and for two consecutive evenings, AREA will revive its special brand of performance art, reprising some of its greatest hits as well as new concepts. AREA’s original staff, along with a new generation of artists, will create performance vitrines and interactive installations including a restaging of Andy Warhol’s Invisible Sculpture performance.
Curating the project—his first New York project in five years—Jeffrey Deitch reunites with former Deitch Gallery Director Kathy Grayson, founder of The Hole. He says, “AREA was both a vital part of its time and way ahead of its time in its experiential approach to art and its integration of art, music, fashion and performance.” Eric Goode adds, “We didn’t want to just recreate what happened thirty years ago. We want people to have sense of what AREA would be like today.” ABSOLUT, the iconic Swedish vodka that was a major part of the Eighties art scene partners with AREA’s founders and The Hole NYC to bring the AREA experience to life. During the weeklong installation, the
gallery will host three AREA-style parties with an anarchic take on cocktails. Alban de Pury, the brand’s Art Ambassador explains, “Our artist ad campaign of the Eighties and Nineties will never be forgotten, but today we are focused on creating art inspired experiences for our customers and fans. AREA offers the perfect milieu.”
The exhibit celebrates the book AREA, published by Abrams, featuring thousand of photographs and a comprehensive history of the nightclub. Many of these original AREA-goers and others will be on hand to toast the book and exhibition at the Bowery Hotel, dancing to music spun by of the club’s original DJs.

For information on available works in the exhibition, contact Kathy@theholenyc.com