Each week, we search for the most exciting and thought-provoking shows, screenings, and events, both digitally and in-person in the New York area. See our picks from around the world below. (Times are all ET unless otherwise noted.)
Tuesday, February 22
“Pensiero Plurale: On the Politics of Visibility,” hosted by Magazzino Italian Art.
1. “Pensiero Plurale: On the Politics of Visibility” at Magazzino Italian Art, Cold Spring, New York
This week marks the third event of Magazzino’s “Pensiero Plurale” series about social justice in the Italian and U.S. art worlds, curated by Ilaria Conti. The conversation with artists Alessandra Ferrini and Binta Diaw, curator Johanne Affricot, and researcher and writer Simone Frangi will consider the politics of representation in the arts in relationship to Italy’s historical past, including the lasting effects of colonialism, with an eye toward increasing diversity moving forward.
Price: Free with registration
Time: 12 p.m.
—Tanner West
Wilmer Wilson IV, Pres (2017). © Wilmer Wilson IV.
2. “Young, Gifted and Black”: Artist Talk and Public Reception at the Lehigh University Art Galleries, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Abstract contemporary artists Alteronce Gumby and Wilmer Wilson IV will speak with with writer and curator Denny Mwaura about their artistic process. Both have work in the touring exhibition of “Young, Gifted and Black,” featuring the collection of Bernard Lumpkin, on view at Lehigh University through May 27. This is a bit of a drive from the city for a weeknight, but as an added incentive, a reception in the galleries will follow the talk.
Location: Lehigh University Art Galleries, 420 East Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Price: Free with RSVP
Time: 6 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Wednesday, February 23–Saturday, April 23
Ye Funa, Subspecies – 30 Hatsune Miku (2019). Courtesy of Eli Klein Gallery.
3. “Renew: A Recent Survey in Chinese Photography” at Eli Klein Gallery, New York
Eli Klein Gallery presents a group exhibition of contemporary photography from ten Chinese artists. The 18 works on show reveal each photographer’s interpretation of society, culture, and individuals. Varied subjects—from war, civic movements, and the pandemic to scenes of intimacy—are depicted, each presented through unique, contemporary points of view.
Location: Eli Klein Gallery, 398 West Street, New York
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, Wednesday, February 23, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
—Neha Jambhekar
Thursday, February 24–Saturday, April 2
Gretchen Scherer, Sir John Soane Museum, Library and Dining Room (2021–22). Courtesy of Monya Rowe Gallery.
4. “Gretchen Scherer: Sometimes, Light” at Monya Rowe Gallery, New York
In her second solo exhibition with Monya Rowe Gallery, Gretchen Scherer debuts new paintings that depict the interiors of historical English homes that have been converted into museums. The artist, who is known for her painstakingly rendered miniature scenes, wanted to explore the histories of the homes and those who lived there. With her unique stylistic approach, Scherer imbues her images of paintings, sculptures, and furniture with a sense of liveliness and even humor.
Location: Monya Rowe Gallery, 224 West 30th Street, No. 1005, New York
Price: Free
Time: Opening Thursday, February 24, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday—Saturday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.
—Katie White
Friday, February 25–Thursday, March 31
Kim Faler, Double Bubble (2020). Courtesy of the artist.
5. “Kim Faler: Double Bubble” at Palo Gallery, New York
Artist Kim Faler will debut an immersive installation originally commissioned by MASS MoCA. Twenty sculptures will hang from the gallery’s 15-foot ceilings; each sculpture is a rendering of chewed bubble gum. They are cast in a variety of materials—metal, wax, chalk, glass, and gypsum—but these are concealed by hyper-pigmented paint in pastel green and pinks.
Location: Palo Gallery, 57 Bond Street, New York
Price: Free
Time: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Katie White
Saturday, February 26–Sunday, May 1
Rendering of “The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope” at the New York Botanical Garden. Image courtesy of the New York Botanical Garden.
6. “The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope” at the New York Botanical Garden
The 2020 Orchid Show was on track to be the New York Botanical Garden’s all-time most popular iteration of the annual event. Then came the pandemic, shutting down Jeff Leatham’s display of mirrored sculptures and towering columns of colored blooms. The garden was unable to hold the popular exhibition in 2021, but Leatham, the first artist ever chosen to design the exhibition on his own—and the floral designer for the likes of Oprah Winfrey, the Kardashians, and the Dalai Lama—agreed to a reprise for 2022.
Location: New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx
Price: $30 general admission; $39 Orchid Evenings tickets on select weekends
Time: Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; after-hours viewings select weekends, 7 p.m.–10 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Through Saturday, March 5
7. “Dominic Chambers: Soft Shadows” at Lehmann Maupin, New York
For his debut solo at Lehmann Maupin, Dominic Chambers employs traditional art-historical themes to create paintings addressing issues of race and identity. The artist has found that “often when we imagine what the Black body is doing it is usually an act of labor, rebellion, or resistance,” Chambers said in a statement—a perception he hopes to counter by depicting the Black body at rest in his series “After Albers” and “Primary Magic.”
Location: Lehmann Maupin, 501 West 24th Street, New York
Price: Free
Time: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Through Saturday, March 12
Installation view, “H.R. Giger: HRGNYC,” at Lomex, New York. Courtesy of Lomex.
8. “H.R. Giger: HRGNYC” at Lomex, New York
Fans of the Alien film franchise have artist H.R. Giger to thank for the series’ nightmarish extraterrestrial villain, which earned him an Academy Award back in 1979. This exhibition—the largest of Giger’s work in New York in nearly three decades—is part of a concerted effort to reexamine his legacy in contemporary art, beyond his cult status.
Location: Lomex, Alexander Shulan Fine Art, 86 Walker Street #3, New York
Price: Free
Time: Wednesday–Saturday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Wendell Gladstone, Sun Dress (2021). Courtesy of Kravets Wehby.
9. “Wendell Gladstone: Mirages to Touch” at Kravets Wehby, New York
Wendell Gladstone’s Day-Glo paintings conjure a delightfully surreal summery dreamworld, populated by long-limbed figures in states of repose. But the real wonder of these works is the hard-edged surface that the artist forms with thick but evenly applied layers of acrylic, almost as if collaging with paint. These careful details demand in-person viewing.
Location: Kravets Wehby, 521 West 21st Street, New York
Price: Free
Time: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Through Saturday, March 19
Ad Reinhardt, Abstract Painting, Red (1953). © 2021 Estate of Ad Reinhardt/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
10. “Ad Reinhardt: Color Out of Darkness, Curated by James Turrell” at Pace Gallery, New York
Not only has Light and Space artist James Turrell curated this show of paintings by the late American abstract artist Ad Reinhardt, he’s also devised a special lighting concept for them. Turrell credits Reinhardt’s monochromatic “red,” “blue,” “white,” and “black” paintings as a major inspiration for his own work with color, light, and perception.
Location: Pace Gallery, 540 West 25th Street, New York
Price: Free
Time: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Through Saturday, April 2
Installation view, “Pa’l Patio”, 2022. Courtesy of Calderón Gallery.
11. “Pa’l Patio” at Calderón Gallery, New York
Tiffany Alfonseca curates her second exhibition focusing on diasporic Dominican and Caribbean identity at Calderón Gallery. Featured artists include Diego Espaillat, Delvin Lugo, José Morbán, Devin Osorio, Bony Ramirez, Kenny Rivero, and Raelis Vasquez.
Location: Calderón Gallery, 106 South Street, New York
Price: Free
Time: Wednesday–Saturday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.
—Cristina Cruz
Through Saturday, April 2
Liv Mette Larsen, Vertical Nightview III (2018). Courtesy of Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art.
12. “Nightview” at Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art, New York
Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art presents a solo exhibition of 19 paintings by Norwegian artist Liv Mette Larsen. Each painting is a color-block composition of two hues reminiscent of a city silhouette at night. Works on paper by the artist are also on view in the back room.
Location: Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art, 521 West 26th Street, 1st floor, New York
Price: Free
Time: Tuesday–Friday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday,11 a.m.–4 p.m.; appointment suggested
—Neha Jambhekar