Hungarian artist Andi Schmid pretended to be a European billionaire to view luxury housing to take picturesque photos of the New York landscapes.
Later, she published a book with photos she took on a Nikon F-601 film camera during home viewings.
While posing as an apartment-hunting Hungarian billionaire, Andi Schmied accessed and documented Manhattan’s most exclusive high-rise properties. For the duration of the project, she inhabited a fictional persona: Gabriella, a mother of one whose husband is an antique dealer. Dressing as Gabriella and acting as Gabriella, she prepared for the family’s upcoming move to Manhattan.
The artist got access to more than twenty elite apartments in New York, many of which are located in the southern part of Central Park. Her book features photos from locations such as 432 Park Avenue, the Ritz-Carlton Residences at 50 Central Park South, and the Steinway Tower at 111 West 57th Street, among others.
To pass herself off as a convincing buyer, she enlisted her antiquarian friend from Budapest to pretend to be her husband, hired a personal assistant and a cook. In addition, the artist spent all the help from the arts association on clothes, make-up and manicure.
If you don’t want to pretend to be a millionaire but still want to see the city from a bird’s eye view, our selection of the best viewing platforms in New York is for you.
