Microscope Gallery

Microscope Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in New York City that specializes in time-based works, with a particular focus on film, sound, digital, and performance art. Founded by artists and curators Elle Burchill and Andrea Monti, the gallery also regularly exhibits sculpture, installation, painting, mixed media, and photography. It is distinguished by its dedication to avant-garde and experimental practices, having shown works by pioneering figures of the 1960s and 1970s such as Jonas Mekas and George Maciunas, alongside contemporary practitioners. The gallery currently operates from Chelsea in Manhattan.

Microscope Gallery opened in September 2010 in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Burchill and Monti established the space in a former auto parts shop, transforming it into a venue dedicated to underrepresented time-based disciplines. After its beginnings in Bushwick, the gallery later relocated to the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, where it continues its programming. Throughout its history, the gallery has maintained a consistent focus on experimental media while expanding its roster of represented artists and collaborative projects with institutions.

The gallery's program centers on time-based media, positioning film, video, sound art, digital art, and performance as its core strengths. Beyond these primary disciplines, Microscope regularly incorporates sculpture, installation, painting, mixed media, and photographic works into its exhibitions. This scope allows for interdisciplinary dialogues between moving image and static practices. The gallery frequently partners with academic institutions for thesis exhibitions, such as those with the Rhode Island School of Design, New York University, Syracuse University, and Cornell University, bridging emerging academic work with its avant-garde historical focus.

Microscope has exhibited foundational avant-garde figures including Anthology Film Archives founder Jonas Mekas, Fluxus founding member George Maciunas, Nick Zedd, Michael Snow, Barbara Hammer, Amos Poe, Ken Jacobs, Su Friedrich, and Lary 7. The gallery's represented artists include Peggy Ahwesh, Ina Archer, Katherine Bauer, Kamari Carter, Ben Coonley, DataSpaceTime, Raul Vincent Enriquez, Bradley Eros, James Fotopoulos, Sarah Halpern, Takahiko Iimura, Le'Andra LeSeur, Jeanne Liotta, Yasue Maetake, Eileen Maxson, Zach Nader, Rachel Phillips, Kevin Reuning, Rachel Rosheger, Kurt Schwerdtfeger, Allison Somers, Anita Thacher, Ezra Wube, and Marni Kotak. Kotak's 2011 performance The Birth of Baby X, during which she gave birth to a child in the gallery, remains a signature event in the institution's history.

The gallery's original Bushwick location was a converted former auto parts shop. Following its relocation from Brooklyn, Microscope established its Manhattan presence at 525 West 29th Street in the Chelsea gallery district. During temporary transitions, such as in May 2026, the gallery has operated from an adjacent address at 527 West 29th Street, maintaining its presence within the same Chelsea block.

Microscope Gallery is located at 525 West 29th Street, New York, NY 10001, in the Chelsea neighborhood. The gallery remains active with a continuous schedule of exhibitions, opening receptions, and curated screenings. It continues to be directed by its founders, Elle Burchill and Andrea Monti, and operates as a commercial gallery space that supports both established historical avant-garde artists and contemporary practitioners working across time-based and mixed media disciplines.