Marta presents Double Act
starring Minjae Kim & Dominik Tarabański
Marta presents Double Act, starring
Minjae Kim & Dominik Tarabański
—
premiering at the 12th Edition
of FOG Art + Design Fair
in San Francisco, CA
Preview of Double Act, New York 2025
Los Angeles, CA — Hollywood has a long tradition of buddy films — from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the Blues Brothers to the trio of Bill and Ted’s misadventures. The draw for us is to embrace two protagonists, often with contrasting personalities, sometimes combustible, other times in harmony — moving through a road trip, a mission, a heist.
Without the fanfare of lights, camera, action, two artists, one a verbose photographer, Dominik Tarabański, the other a subdued designer, Minjae Kim, come together for a unique installation, Double Act, tracing a genealogy of shared aesthetics.
Act I
Dominik: LEGO.
Minjae Kim: Yes, LEGO.
Dominik: When I was a kid, my father would sometimes take me to Pewex, which was the only place in Poland during communism where you could buy Western products, paid for in dollars. That’s where I got LEGO. I always chose space and cosmic sets, never pirates or a gas station. And I would mix them right away with my existing set. I never used a manual, and I didn't build exactly what was pictured on the box. Instead, I’d organize the bricks by color in separate boxes and build the biggest “base” I could. More LEGO, bigger base.
Minjae: In Seoul, I grew up as an only child with parents who were not too keen on getting me the toys I wanted. As a result, there was a lot of reinventing with toys I was familiar with; I'd find a new orientation or character. I had one set of transforming robot toys that could be assembled into a winged centaurian mecha robot. I remember pretty quickly moving away from the intended assembly and coming up with my own. Then, of course, there was LEGO. Lots and lots of handed-down LEGO.
Act II
Minjae Kim: You make me laugh.
Dominik: No, YOU make me laugh.
Minjae: I find Dom's positivity and endurance inspiring. He pushes me to keep going or going further with such ease. When I'm at a place where I think it's 'good enough,' he always pushes, saying, ‘Why not a little more?’ And he's so right!
I laugh the most with Dom when we say something that seems so obvious but is hard to say. There are topics that require very intuitive opinions, and we often find each other agreeing.
Dominik: Minjae is an amusing person, with his habits and hobbies which often surprise me and make me laugh. We do almost completely different things, yet I feel such similarity and understanding with him that only sensitivity and intuition can explain. It's a great pleasure and relief to have a friend like Minjae.
Act III
Dominik Tarabański & Minjae Kim
Self Portrait, New York 2025
Dominik Tarabański & Minjae Kim, Self Portrait, New York 2025
Dominik: You work hard.
Minjae: You work harder.
Dominik: Minjae’s work is complex — craftsmanship and being accessible are equally important. He refers to his cultural identity and experience in a playful manner, and the way he quotes where he's from reopened my eyes to a deeper search into my own origins. His ability to balance discussing what's important without being deadly serious about it is inspiring. I value his confidence, and he’s taught me when to let it go, when to stop, before too much is done.
Minjae: Dominik possesses clarity and care in composition, the use of color, in its crispness, and extreme sensitivity. Problem-solving is a layer that strongly resonates with me. He’s aware of every corner of his composition, and the presence of intention is reassuring. I get very excited when certain anthropomorphic figures emerge. There is humor, determination, and a certain ease that comes from understanding the material.
Prologue
Double Act is a celebration of two close friends who are in constant dialogue and therefore their work is also in conversation. Tarabański’s photographs of meticulously arranged florals and Kim’s enigmatic sculptural lights share an obsessive compulsion for architectural language. Balance and tension, light and form dominate their compositions.
In his Between Stems series, buds and petals emerge from inky backgrounds, with alien-like qualities. Tarabański is unafraid to show us the scaffolding — tiny brown ropes and ballpoint straight pins engineer new cinematic shapes. Kim’s series of lamps (standing, hanging, tabletop) alludes to ancient Asian roofs, a crown for a house. In daylight, their opaqueness conveys protection, while in darkness, the lamps seem to glow like a hearth. Their refined, organic precision in aesthetics is a common pursuit of what is the shape of home.
One hopes that these two friends (like Bill and Ted) will stay the course
to be ‘excellent to each other.’
—
By Minjae Kim, Dominik Tarabański, with Karen Wong.
Double Act is a celebration of two close friends who are in constant dialogue and therefore their work is also in conversation. Tarabański’s photographs of meticulously arranged florals and Kim’s enigmatic sculptural lights share an obsessive compulsion for architectural language. Balance and tension, light and form dominate their compositions.
In his Between Stems series, buds and petals emerge from inky backgrounds, with alien-like qualities. Tarabański is unafraid to show us the scaffolding — tiny brown ropes and ballpoint straight pins engineer new cinematic shapes. Kim’s series of lamps (standing, hanging, tabletop) alludes to ancient Asian roofs, a crown for a house. In daylight, their opaqueness conveys protection, while in darkness, the lamps seem to glow like a hearth. Their refined, organic precision in aesthetics is a common pursuit of what is the shape of home.
One hopes that these two friends (like Bill and Ted) will stay the course to be ‘excellent to each other.’
By Minjae Kim, Dominik Tarabański, with Karen Wong.
—
Karen Wong is the New Museum's Chief Brand Officer and a GSAPP Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University. She is the co-author of Made by MSCHF published by Phaidon in March 2025.
Karen Wong is the New Museum's Chief Brand Officer and a GSAPP Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University. She is the co-author of Made by MSCHF published by Phaidon in March 2025.
Double Act — Minjae Kim & Dominik Tarabański presented by Marta Gallery, FOG Art + Design, San Francisco, USA, 2026
Double Act — Minjae Kim & Dominik Tarabański, New York preview presented by Marta Gallery, New York, USA, 2025
Between Stems
Between Stems — work 006, Dominik Tarabański, New York 2026
Between Stems — work 004, Dominik Tarabański, New York 2026
Between Stems — work 005, Dominik Tarabański, New York 2026
Between Stems — work 003, Dominik Tarabański, New York 2025
Between Stems — work 002, Dominik Tarabański, New York 2026
Between Stems — work 001, Dominik Tarabański, New York 2026
Double Act — Minjae Kim & Dominik Tarabański, presented by Marta Gallery, FOG Art + Design, San Francisco, USA, 2026
Double Act — Minjae Kim & Dominik Tarabański, New York Preview presented by Marta Gallery, New York, USA, 2025
Between Stems
Between Stems
Between Stems — work 006
unique edition 1+1AP
83.0 x 83.0 in
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Mixed media, including Fallopia japonica, Sandersonia aurantiaca, Cypripedioideae, rubber bands, tailor’s pins, synthetic twine, paper tape, and a selection of fabrics.
Between Stems — work 004
unique edition 1+1AP
63.5 x 83 in
—
Mixed media, including Helichrysum consists, Gloriosa Rutea Yellow, rubber bands, tailor’s pins, fruit netting, paper tape, aluminium ruler, and a selection of fabrics.
Between Stems — work 002
unique edition 1+1AP
83 x 47 in
—
Mixed media, including Strelitzia reginae, Cypripedioideae, tailor’s pins, synthetic twine, paper tape, and a selection of fabrics.
Between Stems — work 005
unique edition 1+1AP
63.5 x 83 in
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Medium: Mixed media, including Grevillea Sandra Gordon, Rosa Red Naomi, Ranunculus asiaticus Virgil Red, Lavandula dentata, zip tie, match, tailor’s pins, synthetic twine, and a selection of fabrics.
Between Stems — work 003
unique edition 1+1AP
83 x 63.5 in
—
Mixed media, including Amaryllis tarantula, Lavandula dentata, Ranunculus asiaticus Virgil Red, rubber bands, paper clips, paper tape, gaffer tape, tailor’s pin, windshield blade parts, and a selection of fabrics.
Between Stems — work 001
unique edition 1+1AP
47 x 83 in
—
Mixed media, including Amaryllis tarantula, Amaryllis sonata, Stella guacamaya, Anigozanthos, tailor’s pins, synthetic twine, fruit netting, and a selection of fabrics.
2026
Minaje Kim & Dominik Tarabański, by Marta Gallery
FOG Art Fair, San Francisco, USA
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Exhibitions
2026
Minaje Kim & Dominik Tarabański, by Marta Los Angeles
FOG Art Fair, San Fransisco, USA
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Between Stems — work 001
Between Stems — work 001
Between Stems — work 002
Between Stems — work 006
Between Stems — work 003
Between Stems — work 004
Between Stems — work 005
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Between Stems — work 002
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Between Stems — work 006
Between Stems — work 004
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Between Stems — work 005
Between Stems — work 003
Inquiries
For additional information, catalogue, or acquisition inquiries, please get in touch.
For additional information, catalogue, or acquisition inquiries, please get in touch.