Each week, we search New York City for the most exciting and thought-provoking shows, screenings, and events. See them below.
Monday, May 20
Jeff Koons, Tulips. Image courtesy of the Albertine.
1. “Geopolitics of Contemporary Art” at Albertine bookstore
Join French gallerist Nathalie Obadia, along with Benjamin Sutton, lead editor for art market and news at Artsy, for a discussion in English on Obadia’s newly published book, Géopolitique de l’art contemporain, which analyzes the link between visual arts and geopolitics in today’s world. “The book posits that Le Louvre in Abu Dhabi, Art Basel in Miami, and Jeff Koons’s tulips in Paris are all manifestations of contemporary art as a tool for influence,” according to the publisher.
Location: Albertine, 972 Fifth Avenue
Price: Free, open to the public
Time: 6:30 p.m.
—Eileen Kinsella
Courtesy of Creative Time Summit.
2. “Creative Time Summit: Speaking Truth | Media and Technology” at New Lab
Kicking off its celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Creative Time Summit, Tega Brain and Morehshin Allahyari will appear in conversation with Amy Goodman about how to curtail the spread of disinformation and reshape the digital landscape into being a more trustworthy place.
Location: New Lab, 19 Morris Avenue, Building 128, Brooklyn
Price: $10
Time: 7 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Monday, May 20–Sunday, June 30
Work by Satoshi Kojima. Courtesy of Michael Werner Gallery.
3. “Satoshi Kojima: Chaste as Ice, Pure as Snow” at TRAMPS
TRAMPS and Michael Werner Gallery present new works by Japanese artist Satoshi Kojima. The etherealness of Kojima’s delicately hued paintings is emphasized by the venue’s glass stalls, on the second floor of a Chinatown mall.
Location: TRAMPS, 75 East Broadway, 2nd floor
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Thursday–Sunday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. and by appointment
—Cristina Cruz
Tuesday, May 21
A bidder raises his paddle at Christie’s in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Photo by Fernando Leon/Getty Images.
4. “Inaugural Business of Art Observed” at the Roosevelt Hotel
The Observer digital media company is launching a half-day art business conference with presentations on topics such as “Disruption in the Art World: How the Rules are Changing and the Impact on Art Businesses Nationally and Globally,” with a keynote speech by Michael Findlay, director of New York’s Acquavella Galleries.
Location: The Roosevelt Hotel, 45 East 45th Street
Price: General admission $249
Time: 7:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
—Tanner West
Tuesday, May 21–Tuesday, June 18
The “Bocca” sofa designed by Studio 65. Photo courtesy of R & Company.
5. “Radical Living: Italian Radical Design from 1965–1975” at R & Company
R & Company is following up on its 2017 exhibition “SUPERDESIGN: Italian Radical Design 1965–1975” with a further exploration of the movement featuring works such as the “Bocca” sofa designed by Studio 65. The gallery will be screening its feature length documentary film SUPERDESIGN, by Maria Cristina Didero and director Francesca Molteni, in a private screening area throughout the exhibition.
Location: R & Company, 64 White Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.
—Nan Stewert
Wednesday, May 22
Qinmin Liu, REAL PLAYER 56 at Chambers Fine Art Gallery, New York, NY. Photo by Tao Le, courtesy of the artist.
6. “Pintô Session: REAL PLAYER 56 by Qinmin Liu + Art & Entrepreneurship Talk with Alpha’a” at Pintô International
Artist Qinmin Liu, who once launched a private airline to fly to Art Basel Miami Beach, will speak with Manuela Seve and Renata Thome of the online art platform Alpha’a about art and entrepreneurship with Pintô International director Luca Parolari. The evening will start with a wine tasting and end with the artist’s performance REAL PLAYER 56.
Location: Pintô International, 431 East 12th Street, #5B
Price: Free with RSVP (space limited)
Time: Wine tasting, 7 p.m.; talk, 7:30 p.m.; performance, 8 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Thursday, May 23
Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty (1970). Courtesy of James Cohan Gallery.
7. “Collecting the ‘Uncollectible’: Earth and Site-Specific Sculpture” at the Frick Collection
The Frick’s Center for the History of Collecting is never short on good ideas or symposia, and this week it has put together another promising event on issues surrounding the collecting and stewardship of Land Art. How do large-scale works like Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty or James Turrell’s Roden Crater get funded, sustained, and who supports such ambitious undertakings? The event features a panel discussion on Thursday afternoon with the dealer Virginia Dwan (an early Land Art supporter), the art historian James Meyer, conservator Rosa Lowinger, and artist Michelle Stuart.
Location: The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th Street
Price: $30 for the general public; $20 for students, Frick members, and Dia Foundation members
Time: 2 p.m.–7 p.m.
—Pac Pobric
Installation view of “As If: Alternative Histories From Then to Now,” 2019, at the Drawing Center, New York. Courtesy of the Drawing Center.
8. Walkthrough of “As If: Alternative Histories From Then to Now” at the Drawing Center
Join exhibition curator Giampaolo Bianconi and critic Ed Halter for an eye-opening tour of “As If: Alternative Histories From Then to Now” (on view through July 28), which brings together artworks ranging from speculative and science fiction publications to album and book covers to contemporary works on paper, all exploring the way things could have been—and could still be. The duo will discuss how these images relate to the narratives underpinning them and, in small and large ways, help shape our understanding of historical traumas and future possibilities.
Location: The Drawing Center, 35 Wooster Street
Price: Free with RSVP
Time: 6:30 p.m.
—Tim Schneider
Margareta Haverman, A Vase of Flowers (detail), 1716. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
9. “In Praise of Painting: Women Artists of the Dutch Golden Age” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Adam Eaker, the Met’s assistant curator of European paintings talks about Margareta Haverman’s A Vase of Flowers (1716), one of the initial works purchased by the museum at its founding in 1871, as well as about the life and work of women artists of the Dutch Golden Age.
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, 1000 Fifth Avenue
Price: $30
Time: 11 a.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Matthew Barney, Redoubt (2018). Production still. © Matthew Barney. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels, and Sadie Coles HQ, London. Photo: Hugo Glendinning.
10. “Redoubt: An Evening With Matthew Barney” at the Morgan Library & Museum
On the occasion of the exhibition “Matthew Barney: Redoubt” at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut (on view through June 16), Matthew Barney talks with Molly Nesbit, an art professor at Vassar College, about his “Redoubt” show, which includes a feature-length film and sculptures among other work.
Location: Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue
Price: $15
Time: 6:30 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Thursday, May 23–Saturday, June 29
James Nares, Prince II (2018). Courtesy of the artist and Kasmin Gallery
11. “James Nares: Monuments” at Kasmin
In his latest exhibition at Kasmin, artist James Nares elevates the humble New York sidewalk, lined and paved almost 200 years ago by immigrants, by taking rubbings from select sections and gilding them with 22-karat gold. It is a testament to his love for New York and shines a light on “immigrant labor and its integral place in the fabric of the city.”
Location: Kasmin, 509 West 27th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Neha Jambhekar
Leonora Carrington, And Then We Saw the Daughter of the Minotaur (1953). ©2019, Estate of Leonora Carrington/Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York.
12. “Leonora Carrington: The Story of the Last Egg” at Gallery Wendi Norris
The great female Surrealist gets her first New York show in an astounding 22 years, featuring four decades of painting and sculpture at the now-roving Gallery Wendi Norris, formerly of San Francisco. It’s a good time to learn more about the artist’s legacy: just last week, German filmmakers Lena Vurma and Thorsten Klein announced plans to make a movie based on Mexican writer Elena Poniatowska’s novelized account of the artist’s life, Leonora.
Location: 926 Madison Ave at East 74th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Thursday, May 23–Wednesday, July 3
Teppei Kaneuji, HAKUCHIZU (white map) (2019). Photo courtesy of Jane Lombard Gallery.
13. “Teppei Kaneuji: Plastic Barricade” at Jane Lombard Gallery
In his second show with Jane Lombard, Teppei Kaneuji presents a new large-scale installation from his “White Discharge” series (2002–present), which combines plastic toys, found objects, and everyday household items, turning the array into a snowy landscape by dusting everything with white powder, a commentary on both natural phenomena and mass consumption.
Location: Jane Lombard Gallery, 518 West 19th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Thursday, May 23–Friday, July 12
Vivian Greven, : (2018). Courtesy of Lyles & King
14. “Touch Knows You Before Language” at Lyles & King
A group show featuring Vivian Greven, Erica Mahinay, and Lauren Seiden opens this Thursday at Lyles & King. Greven’s work is reminiscent of antique cameo jewelry with its white-against-pastel classical imagery. Mahinay’s abstract paintings “incorporating stretches of translucent fabric…show(ing) the skeleton of stretcher bars beneath” and Seiden’s draped, marble sculptures are also featured.
Location: Lyles & King, 106 Forsyth Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Wednesday–Saturday: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m.–6 p.m.
—Cristina Cruz
Thursday, May 23–Monday, July 29
ektor garcia, figura (2019). Photo courtesy of the artist
15. “ektor garcia: cadena perpetua” at SculptureCenter
In his first New York solo show, ektor garcia presents a series of mixed-media sculptures made of interlocking parts—leather loops, clay fired into chain links, copper wire crocheted into lace, and bits of steel welded together. His practice draws on the traditional handcraft of rural Tabasco in Zacatecas, Mexico.
Location: SculptureCenter, 44-19 Purves Street, Long Island City, Queens
Price: $10 suggested donation during regular hours, opening reception is free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Thursday–Monday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Tanner West
Through Wednesday, May 29
Jill Magid, Make Me Anonymous (2013). Courtesy of the artist and LX Arts.
16. “Last Night I Wore A Costume” at LX Arts
Curated by Lower East Side gallery pioneer Lisa Cooley, this exhibition subtly explores the ways we create, adorn, and conceal our identities. Drawing works from across generations, the exhibition moves from an August Sander photograph of two young men, smiling, in boxing gloves to Jimmy De Sana’s under-the-table shot of a nude man in heels, to Jill Magid’s neon plea or demand, Make Me Anonymous. The interior and exterior of identity collide (with design objects freely interspersed). In Barkley L. Hendricks we’re offered not the artist’s luminous portraits of street style, but a view of red clay mountains, made flamboyant by a circular gilt frame. Across from this Jennifer J. Lee’s small painting on jute presents a 1970s living room in the same ochre and orange tones. The exhibition title, “Last Night I Wore A Costume,” makes reference to nothing in particular, but captures the exhibition’s sense of play mixed with memory.
Location: LX Arts, 36 East 60th Street
Price: Free
Time: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Katie White
Through Sunday, June 2
Snarkitecture, Sway. Photo courtesy of INTERSECT BY LEXUS.
17. “Snarkitecture: Sway” at Intersect by Lexus
I was less than impressed by Snark Park, the Instagram trap from design studio Snarkitecture that opened in the new Hudson Yards in March with a hefty $28 admission fee. But Snarkitecture was a pioneer of the pop-up museum concept with the group’s blockbuster exhibitions at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, so I’m intrigued to check out this free offering, a seemingly never-ending field of flowing LED spheres that respond to human touch.
Location: Intersect by Lexus, 412 West 14th Street
Price: Free with reservation
Time: Daily, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
—Sarah Cascone
Through Saturday, July 1
Maddy Parrasch, Untitled (2018), ceramic tiles on wood. Photo courtesy of Safe Gallery.
18. “Maddy Parrasch/Emma Soucek” at Safe Gallery
If we’re lucky, we have experienced a chapter of our lives—in school or elsewhere—when we are able to absorb new information and influences from all corners and all people, like the thirstiest of sponges. This show spotlights two young artists—friends who studied, traveled, and worked together—at this critical juncture, as they shaped one another’s work. Maddy Parrasch (1995–2018) and Emma Soucek (b.1996) both recently finished their BFA programs at the Rhode Island School of Design. Kevin Zucker, the artists’ teacher at RISD, writes that while it is tempting to view this show as a memorial exhibition for Parrasch, the late daughter of gallerist Franklin Parrasch, “the vigor, exuberance, and emotional range of the actual objects in the gallery demand we not be satisfied with that conclusion, or any other. Please, look.”
Location: Safe Gallery, 1004 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn
Price: Free
Time: Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. or by appointment
—Julia Halperin
Through Saturday, June 29
Constantin Brancusi, View of the Studio: Mademoiselle Pogany II with Flower (c. 1923). Courtesy of Bruce Silverstein Gallery.
19. “Brancusi: The Photographer” at Kasmin and “Brancusi’s Flowers” at Bruce Silverstein Gallery
Kasmin and Bruce Silverstein team up for two sister exhibitions of Constantin Brancusi’s photography. Shot across several decades and at multiple locations, from the artist’s studio in Romania to Edward Steichen’s garden in France, the photographs reiterate the sculptor’s sublime sensitivity to the relational space between objects, light, and the environments they inhabit.
Location: Bruce Silverstein Gallery, 293 10th Avenue and 529 West 20th Street, Third Floor
Price: Free
Time: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
—Taylor Dafoe