While the idea for the publication had been germinating for several years, balcony’s release was bolstered by the newfound free time brought about by the pandemic. “We found time to really connect with some great graphic designers to start getting this project going.”, Smith noted, specifically mentioning designers Ben Fehrman-Lee and Julia Novitch, who have been helping with the project from the very beginning.

A writer/editor and Sales Assistant at David Zwirner Gallery, Smith explains the origins of the mag. “It really stems from this interest in wanting to experience art and artists through a more humane and intimate lens.” Muñoz, a commercial photographer, designer and bonafide magazine junkie who’s new design space Estudio Piedras is currently in the works, notes that “the care that we have put into selecting and balancing the imagery together with the long-format interviews” makes it feel like a comprehensive and complete experience. “I think that people who are participating in the art world are going to relate to it and enjoy it”, he adds, citing the more-personal, less-stuffy style of balcony as a key factor.

By remixing the traditional artist profile, Smith and Muñoz blur the lines between the art world and the everyday. Smith states “I hope that balcony, in some ways, can sort of be the antithesis of what we understand as art journalism.”

balcony is available in print at Corridor Fort Greene, Corridor Nolita and online, here, at corridornyc.com