The show has also fanned broader concerns about gentrification across the Bronx, at a time when a spate of development has brought amenities such as boutique hotels, new stores and a Trump-branded golf course. In response to the event, dozens of Bronx artists and art groups have been mobilizing to protest what they see as a blatant use of art to promote a commercial venture that does not serve the community’s interests.

For his part, Mr. Rubenstein said there had been a misunderstanding about the show and there was “never an intent to disparage or insult the Bronx or the history of the Bronx.” He said he was particularly offended by Mr. Garcia Conde’s comments about the Holocaust.

Mr. Rubenstein said that the show was an inclusive — and not an exclusive — event, and that he had invited dozens of Bronx residents and told them to invite their friends. He had also invited Ms. Mark-Viverito, who did not attend.

“If our message was somehow misinterpreted, or not disseminated clearly, I apologize for that and will try to do a better job expressing our message in the future — which is only that the Bronx is a great place,” he said.

He pointed out that the waterfront complex being developed by Somerset Partners and the Chetrit Group will produce jobs and other economic benefits for the area, and about 1,600 market-rate apartments whose rent could range from $3,000 to $3,500 a month for a two-bedroom. He said he was also investing in other parts of the neighborhood, and plans to open three restaurants, a coffee shop and an art gallery.

“We’re not displacing anybody,” he said. “We’re bringing people who might not otherwise come to the Bronx.”

Image Mr. Smith Credit... Andrew Toth/Getty Images

But Mr. Garcia Conde and other Bronx residents have opposed the project, saying that they will not be able to afford to live there and that the community has had little input. They have also bristled at Mr. Rubenstein’s efforts to call the area around the planned complex the “piano district,” including putting up a billboard with the name.