June 25 – August 7, 2026
A House is Not a Home
Sikkema Malloy Jenkins
In Person Viewing:
530 West 22nd Street
New York, NY 10011
Opening reception on June 25, from 5–7 PM.
Online Viewing:
https://www.smjny.com/ex2026-06-25-a-house-is-not-a-home
Sikkema Malloy Jenkins is pleased to present A House Is Not a Home, a group exhibition that explores the notion of home as a place of memory, history and comfort. The exhibition features 10 artists working across painting, sculpture, textile and photography. Included are works by Josephine Halvorson, Arturo Herrera, Greg Kwiatek, Teresa Lanceta, Liliana Porter, Alessandro Teoldi, Ana Tiscornia, Ann Toebbe, Kay Rosen and Marie Watt. A public opening reception will be held on Thursday, June 25, from 5-7pm.
The exhibition takes its title from the 1964 song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David (famously recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1964 and Luther Vandross in 1981). While the poetic lyrics are rooted in love and longing, the heart of the song explores the idea that a house is merely a physical structure, whereas a home is an emotional concept requiring the presence of people to hold meaning. The song emphasizes that a dwelling only becomes a place of warmth when shared; as the lyrics suggest, a “chair is still a chair” and a “room is still a room” when empty, but a house is not a home.
In this exhibition, the work of these artists connects us to that personal dimension of home. Some explore the history of place, as seen in the work of Marie Watt. Others investigate memories of specific houses, such as Ann Toebbe, Josephine Halvorson, and Arturo Herrera. Additionally, domestic settings and materials are central to the practices of Ana Tiscornia, Teresa Lanceta, Greg Kwiatek, Alessandro Teoldi, and Liliana Porter. Kay Rosen’s paintings on paper serve as a guide for an imaginary floor plan of the exhibition. By elevating these everyday references, the artists bridge the gap between the physical house and the emotional home.
