Cj Hendry’s latest popup immerses New Yorkers in a wash of red
Tony’s Chocolonely and Cj Hendry have opened an immersive Valentine’s popup in New York, transforming a cast iron storefront into a fully red environment that pairs chocolate retail with interactive installation art and a $1 mystery box concept.
From the snow-covered sidewalks, the address reads as a glowing block of color. Windows gleam crimson behind heavy curtains and the brand’s logotype floats in white across the glass.
Industrial interiors are softened as fabric curtains pool onto the floor and wrap structural columns. Rows of modular shelving run parallel to the walls, stacked with identical red bags. The grid feels closer to a storage archive than a candy shop.
image © Elvin Rodriguez
the $1 mystery boxes
Cj Hendry’s hand shows in the staging of the Valentine’s popup with Tony’s Chocolonely. Especially following her beloved Flower Markets along with her inflatable installation, Keff Joons, the artist has become known for immersive spaces that treat everyday objects as material for large-scale atmospheres. Here, she leans into repetition and restraint. The popup behaves like a single set piece where merchandise doubles as textural partition.
At the center of the project is the $1 mystery box. Each purchase guarantees at least one Tony’s bar, though the exact contents stay concealed.
image © Cj Hendry Studio
Tony’s mission to end exploitation in cocoa
The company notes that this concept echoes its ongoing message about inequity in the cocoa supply chain. Tony’s bars feature unevenly divided segments to reflect uneven distribution of value. Here, the mystery format introduces chance into the buying experience. Visitors reach into the same red stock yet leave with different combinations, a gesture that points toward larger structural imbalance.
According to the brand, the popup extends its mission to end exploitation in cocoa while engaging fans through community and design.
image © Cj Hendry Studio
valentine’s day-themed editions
Beyond the chocolate, Cj Hendry’s popup includes limited pieces that read like Valentine’s Day-themed gallery editions. A heart shaped balloon object, soft caps with stitched heart patches, T-shirts with a small emblem at the chest, and a framed print with a glossy, inflated heart sit on plinths and tables. The palette stays tight, limiting colors to red, pink, white, and the occasional neutral.
image © Cj Hendry Studio
image © Cj Hendry Studio
image © Elvin Rodriguez
project info:
name: Valentony’s
artist: Cj Hendry | @cj_hendry
location: 131 Greene Street, NYC
brand: Tony’s Chocolonely | @tonyschocolonely_us
dates: February 6th — 8th, 2026
photography: © Cj Hendry Studio, © Elvin Rodriguez
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