Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium

When

June 27 – August 9, 2026 All Day

Where

Glyndor Gallery

Price

Free

with admission to the grounds

In The Cryptozoological Vivarium, Etienne Gisto Cipriani’ transforms the Sun Porch into a speculative zoological habitat populated by cryptids—defined by the artist as a species that evolved specifically to evade human detection, capture, and extinction. Combining sculpture, terrariums, and ambient sound, the installation presents meticulously crafted creatures made from clay, plaster, resin, recycled materials, and 3D-printed components, each displayed within environments built from natural materials gathered on the grounds of Wave Hill and beyond. Adopting the performative role of a professor of speculative biology, Cipriani blends scientific language with mythology to construct an alternative ecology in which evolution is shaped by the enduring threat of humanity. Through these imagined life forms, The Cryptozoological Vivarium invites viewers to “imagine a world beyond our wildest dreams” and to rethink the natural world order.

01 Cipriani 11 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

02 Cipriani 15 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

03 Cipriani 16 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

04 Cipriani 13 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

05 Cipriani 07 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

06 Cipriani 14 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

07 Cipriani 09 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

08 Cipriani 06 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

09 Cipriani 08 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

10 Cipriani 05 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

11 Cipriani 04 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

12 Cipriani 01 — Exhibition view of "Etienne Gisto Cipriani: The Cryptozoological Vivarium", 2026 clay, plaster, resin, recycled and organic materials, PLA, sound. Commissioned for the Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill. Photo: Stefan Hagen.

Public Program: Meet the Artist Etienne Gisto Cipriani on Saturday, June 27, 1PM. In conversation with Wave Hill Curator of Visual Arts Rachel Raphaela Gugelberger, Cipriani will discuss his Sun Porch exhibition The Cryptozoological Vivarium, with a focus on how his work de-centers humans and challenges speciesism—the discrimination against non-human animals.

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Etienne Cipriani

Etienne Cipriani

Born in Rome, Italy, and based in the Bronx, Etienne Cipriani’s multidisciplinary practice spans filmmaking, illustration, and writing to explore themes of morality, betrayal, and the complex nature of humanity. Rooted in classical art and design yet globally influenced, he blends humor and the macabre in scientific observations of reality to better understand the unknown. Most recently, Cipriani has embraced the self-proclaimed role as a professor of cryptozoology—the study of animals whose existence is disputed—to manifest his animal discoveries through detailed sculptures and illustrations. His works have been presented at Serbest International Film Festival, Moldova; Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival; Rome International Short Festival; and in New York at the TromaDance Film Festival and New York Lift-Off Film Festival. Cipriani is the recipient of a Phoenix Shorts Award and Brooklyn International Short Award, both in 2024. He earned a BA in film and animation from the University of Westminster, London, UK. Learn more about the artist at gistohead.com.
Photo: Self-portrait as Professor Etienne Gisto Cipriani. Courtesy of the artist.