"Do you know the artist?" is a common question to be asked at pop ups and larger exhibits. It's a fun question for the Hendry team since they're commonly filming patrons of CJ's past installations asking such. But the average response is less than complimentary as it's often "who is he?" or "yeah, he's cool." when in, fact CJ Hendry is a woman.
She's an Australian hyper-realism artist who currently lives and works in Brooklyn. She is a mother, sister, and clever as she has left us Easter eggs - Taylor Swift style in her latest masterpiece : H000000PS. Do you get it? Six zeros, like one million numerically aka the prize to be won.
H000000PS is her first true public installation and is a 20 foot, 34 basketball hooped like umbrella tree that sits on the shores of the Wynwood District in Miami. Only hours after the base of the structure was secured and cemented, HOOPS was unveiled for Art Basel 2023. has been up two full days and more than a handful have tested their shooting ability for fun...but also for a bounty. CJ and her team posted that who ever can shoot and score on all 34 hoops successfully, without missing a mark, wins $1,000,000 and one of her large scale original pieces. Worth a try, right? There is some time left to be champion and according to a CJ herself (via a screenshot from her DMs posted to her story) the closest has been 23 baskets. You can find HOOPS at Margaret Pace Park, and can shoot from 10 AM to 5 PM until December 10th. So what are you waiting for?
However, not everyone lives in Miami or can shoot a basketball with confidence. There is hope for the rest of us to get our hands on HOOPS! Sike; CJ has chosen that all six original pieces, and all limited edition prints (with matching brief cases) in the HOOPS collection will only be available to past collectors of her art. As long as one has spent $1 or more from her, you are eligible and will recieve a passcode to the release.
I guess the lesson learned here is to always be ready for a free throw and maybe be a fan, and not a bandwagoner. But good luck to those trying to score both baskets and her original artwork at the launch; I am jealous of both of you for having the means to do so.
