Redefining Ballet from Above: Brad Walls’ PASSÉ Captivates New York
- Kimberly Porter
- Sep 14
- 3 min read
Brad Walls’ much-anticipated PASSÉ exhibition opened its doors in New York City on September 12, 2025, drawing throngs of art lovers, dancers, and collectors eager to witness his most ambitious project to date. The immersive environment, awash in shades of red, set the stage for a visceral reimagining of ballet as seen from above—an angle that has come to define Walls’ now-celebrated body of work.
Known for transforming subjects through minimalist aerial photography, Walls invited attendees to step not only into the gallery but symbolically inside the performance itself. Guests entered through The Red Room, walking across the very carpet used in the monumental ballet shoot where 60 dancers and a 10-person crew brought his vision to life. Life-sized photographic prints confronted visitors at eye level, collapsing the distance between performer and audience.
A Collector’s Experience
Each day, a select 150 attendees received a handwritten postcard from one of the featured ballerinas, printed with images from the series. These keepsakes blurred the line between exhibition and memory, connecting audience members directly to the dancers’ personal stories. It was this tactile act—a rare intimacy in an age of digital overload—that defined the emotional resonance of PASSÉ: stillness was converted into presence, and observation became participation.
Artworks on Offer
Walls unveiled 8 original pieces from PASSÉ, each presented as unique 1-of-1 framed works in a striking 60-inch format. Alongside these originals, collectors were offered the chance to acquire from a limited run of 8 images available in 50 signed editions, presented in 20-inch framed or unframed formats. This brief, three-day release marks the only opportunity to secure artwork from the series.
The exclusivity heightened the buzz of opening night, as collectors and admirers understood that after the sales window closes on September 14 at 11:59 PM, PASSÉ would shift from a once-in-a-lifetime New York experience into the permanence of private collections.
Behind the Curtain
The creation of PASSÉ stretched over three years, representing Walls’ most ambitious production ever attempted. A football field–sized red carpet covered the warehouse floor, a massive light bounce was suspended overhead, and a custom crane rig was built to capture the meticulously choreographed movements from directly above. More than 20 visual compositions were storyboarded, with 8 being realized in their final form.
The choreography, designed in collaboration with Ian Schwaner, merged classical ballet’s discipline with sharp, graphic geometry—an approach that allowed Walls’ aerial perspective to bring both harmony and abstraction into focus. The cast, a constellation of dancers from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet School, and Ballet East, embodied the tension between rigor and release that defines ballet at its highest level.
Image: Brad Walls/Cultured Focus
A Monument to Seeing Differently
For Walls, PASSÉ is not simply an homage to ballet—it is a narrative about vantage point and intimacy. By inverting the traditional seat of the audience and granting viewers the perspective of the artist above, Walls liberated the dancers from stage conventions and reframed the language of performance.
As one guest remarked exiting the exhibition, “It wasn’t just about watching ballet—it was about feeling suspended in its stillness.”
Walls’ trajectory from his early series Pools From Above to this moment in New York positions him as one of the leading contemporary voices in visual art. His ability to merge rigor, scale, and accessibility continues to resonate with collectors and audiences worldwide.
Brad Walls PASSÉ Exhibition Details
PASSÉ is exhibited at:
347 Broome Street, New York, NY
September 12–14, 2025 | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The window to acquire artworks from PASSÉ remains open until September 14 at 11:59 PM, marking the close of a daring and unforgettable opening run. If interested in the works, please contact @BradsCanvas.com
About Brad Walls:
Brad Walls (b. 1992) is an Australian visual artist known for transforming everyday subjects into striking compositions of symmetry, space, and form. Originally from Sydney and now based in New York, Walls rose to prominence with his minimalist bird’s-eye perspective, capturing everything from synchronized swimmers to ballet dancers. His acclaimed series Pools From Above sparked international attention, leading to global exhibitions, awards, and a growing collector base. Like his compositions, Walls’s exhibitions are immersive by design, inviting viewers to reimagine the world from above.