The editors at artnet News searched New York City high and low for the most exciting, bizarre, and thought-provoking gallery exhibitions this October. From Chelsea to the Lower East Side, we’ve got you covered.
Installation view of Jacob El Hanani at Acquavella. Image courtesy Acquavella.
1. “Jacob El Hanani Linescape: Four Decades” at Acquavella Gallery
To create his hyper-detailed works, Jacob El Hanini blends the ancient Hebrew tradition of micrography with his own minimalist approach, each piece featuring thousands of microscopic marks. His works on canvas and paper at first feel abstract, but they are deeply indebted to the history of landscape painting.
18 East 79th Street, October 2–November 17, 2017; 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Joyce Kozloff, Dream of the American West (2017). Courtesy of DC Moore Gallery.
2. “Joyce Kozloff: Girlhood” at DC Moore Gallery
Following her parents’ deaths, Joyce Kozloff faced the task of clearing out her childhood home. There, she rediscovered drawings she had done in grade school. Kozloff has incorporated these youthful pictures into her latest work, creating new pieces using childhood art supplies such as chalk, crayons, and craypas, and even attaching her own childhood dolls to the edges.
535 West 22nd Street, October 5–November 4, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Ry Rocklen, Jacqueline (2017). Courtesy Team Gallery.
3. Ry Rocklen, “Food Group,” at Team Gallery
In his first exhibition at Team, Los Angeles artist Ry Rocklen shows funny and unexpected sculptures, little renditions of his friends wrapped in everyday food items: “Jacqueline” is enveloped in an ice cream cone, while “Brian” has merged with a hot dog. Embedded in these diminutive sculptures are bigger questions about what is consuming what in capitalist culture. The artist has been included in the 2008 Whitney Biennial and the Hammer Museum’s 2012 “Made in LA,” so if you haven’t already been paying attention, he’s one to watch.
83 Grand Street, October 5–Saturday, November 4; opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Robert Natkin’s Untitled (Hitchcock) (1988). Courtesy of the artist and Hirshl & Adler Gallery.
4. “Robert Natkin: And the Days Are Not Full Enough” at Hirschl & Adler Modern
This show traces the arc of painter Robert Natkin, a colorist who moved fluidly between improvisational expression and more defined geometrical compositions indebted to artists like Paul Klee and Mondrian. Describing him as the “author of a dabbled infinite,” this thorough view of Natkin’s work highlights the full range of his abilities in the Post-war art scene.
The Crown Building, 730 Fifth Avenue, 4th floor, October 5–November 11; opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Raphael Mazzucco. Courtesy of Louis K. Meisel Gallery.
5. “Raphael Mazzucco: An Odyssey” at Louis K. Meisel Gallery
Known for his work with such iconic fashion brands as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Victoria’s Secret, as well as his three Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue covers, Raphael Mazzucco shares his mixed media fine art photography, shot in exotic locations around the globe, in this Soho solo show.
141 Prince Street, October 5–November 11; opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
George Cochrane, from the “Hades High” series. Courtesy of Studio 153/Coffey Street.
6. “George Cochrane: Hades High” at Studio 153/Coffey Street
George Cochrane presents “Hades High,” a new series of large-scale paintings and drawings setting Dante Alighieri’s Inferno in the age of Donald Trump. The title is taken from the latest chapter in Long Time Gone, an in-progress graphic novel by Cochrane and his daughter Fiamma, also on view in the exhibition. Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey and James Joyce’s Ulysses, the 24-chapter novel recounts a day in their lives in Brooklyn. This is the first time the project has been shown in New York, after debuting at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts. It is Coffey Street’s inaugural exhibition.
153 Coffey Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, October 8–November 5, 2017; opening reception 4 p.m.–8 p.m.
Kim Simonsson, Voodoo Mossgirl (2016). Courtesy of Jason Jacques Gallery.
7. “Kim Simonsson: Shaman Party” at Jason Jacques Gallery
The Finnish sculptor brings his delightful “Moss People” sculpture series—petite yet life-size ceramic figures coated in a velvety nylon fiber—to the big city. The handmade works, inspired by the Finnish forest, evoke a sense of childlike wonder and are also featured in the artist’s new book of Nordic fairy tales, with text by Veikko Halmetoja.
29 East 73rd Street, October 11–November 7, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Alison Hall, Shroud VIII (2017). Courtesy of TOTAH, © Alison Hall.
8. “Alison Hall: unannounced” at TOTAH
In her labor-intensive paintings, made on a layered and sanded plaster surface and overlaid with intricate graphite patterns, Alison Hall explores ritual and repetition. She says she is inspired both by Giotto’s Scrovengi Chapel, a masterpiece of the early Renaissance, and the necessity of hard work in rural Virginia, where she grew up.
183 Stanton Street, October 11–December 17, 2017; opening reception, 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Gilbert & George, Beard Code (2016). Courtesy of the artists and Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong. © Gilbert & George.p
9. “Gilbert & George: The Beard Pictures” at Lehmann Maupin
British artist duo Gilbert & George met 50 years ago this year, launching their practice of “Living Sculpture.” Lehmann Maupin celebrates this anniversary by showing 35 of their monumental pictures at both of the gallery’s New York locations. In “The Beard Pictures,” the artists sport facial hair made of beer foam, flowers, barbed wire, and other unexpected materials.
201 Chrystie Street, and 536 West 22nd Street, October 12–December 22; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Tsibi Geva, Untitled (2016). Courtesy of the artist and Albertz Benda.
10. “Tsibi Geva: Jolt” at Albertz Benda
As Israel’s representative at the 2015 Venice Biennale, Tsibi Geva built a barrier of used tires around the nation’s pavilion. For his first show at Albertz Benda, he takes on sociopolitical issues such as migration in both abstract and figurative painting.
515 West 26th Street, October 12–November 18, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Robin F. Williams, Spa Night (2016). Courtesy of P.P.O.W.
11. “Robin F. Williams: Your Good Taste Is Showing” at P.P.O.W.
In her third solo show at the gallery, Robin F. Williams continues her exploration of female identity, drawing on vintage advertising as well as art historical references such as Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring and Balthus’s Girl With Cat in canvases that blend oil paint, airbrush, and other techniques. Her awkwardly posed figures serve as a commentary on society’s expectations about how women should act and look.
535 West 22nd Street, October 12–November 11, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Ingrid Baars, Mary (2016). Courtesy of Pen and Brush.
12. “King Woman” at Pen & Brush
This group show of 25 women features both emerging and established figures such as street artist Swoon and award-winning screenwriter and director A.V. Rockwell. It’s curated by Mashonda Tifrere, founder of Art Lead Her, which promotes women in the art world.
29 East 22nd Street, between Park Avenue South & Broadway, October 12–November 18, 2017; opening reception 7 p.m.–9 p.m.
André Brasilier, Soir à New York (1994). Courtesy of Opera Gallery.
13. “André Brasilier in New York” at Opera Gallery
For the first time in 20 years, André Brasilier—still a working artist at 88 years old—gets a New York solo show of his dreamy figurative canvases. The French painter, who lived in the Big Apple in the 1960s, will pair 40 recent works with a selection of 10 older works still in his private collection.
791 Madison Avenue, October 12–November 13, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Claes Oldenburg Shelf Life Number 1 (2016-2017). © 2017 Claes Oldenburg, Photo: Kerry Ryan McFate, courtesy of Pace Gallery.
14. “Oldenburg/van Bruggen: Shelf Life” at Pace Gallery
For the first time in a dozen years, Claes Oldenburg is debuting new work, diminutive pieces largely inspired by earlier masterpieces The Store (1961) and The Mouse Museum, the artist’s celebrated piece for documenta 5 in 1971.
537 West 24th Street, October 12–November 11, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Alessandro Pessoli, 1963 (2017). Courtesy of Anton Kern Gallery.
15. “Alessandro Pessoli: Against Me” at Anton Kern Gallery
Italian artist Alessandro Pessoli, now based in Los Angeles, presents new paintings, ceramics, and sculptural installations, including Sandrino—his take on the Italian trattoria espresso bar, decorated with a series of cliched “Italian restaurant paintings” he made in 2015.
16 East 55th Street, October 12–November 11, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Bruno Walpoth, Sitting Woman (2017). Courtesy of JanKossen Contemporary.
16. “Bruno Walpoth and Ye Jin-Young” at JanKossen Contemporary
Bruno Walpoth offers a contemporary spin on the kind of figurative wooden sculpture made in Italy during the early Renaissance period. In contrast to his quiet figures at rest, Ye Jin-Young captures the feeling of movement in his sculptural canvases, each one covered in porcelain petals that seem poised to ripple in the breeze.
529 West 20th Street, October 12–November 25, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Sarah Meyohas, Cloud of Petals. Courtesy of Red Bull Arts New York.
17. “Sarah Meyohas: Cloud of Petals” at Red Bull Arts New York
If you couldn’t make it to the Eero Saarinen-designed Bell Labs’ Holmdel Complex in New Jersey last summer, when Sarah Meyohas transformed the abandoned site into a flower factory, the fruits of that labor-intensive project are coming to Red Bell Arts New York. The gallery has dubbed the show a “large-scale exhibition and virtual reality experience.” In addition to showing a 30-minute film of the Bell Labs project and a data-driven VR experiment, the artist will display a mosaic made from 3,289 rose petals, and much more.
220 West 18th Street, October 12–December 10, 2017.
Marcia Marcus, Frieze: The Porch (1964). Courtesy of Eric Firestone Gallery.
18. “Marcia Marcus, Role Play: Paintings, 1958–1973” at Eric Firestone Loft
Eric Firestone Gallery takes a close look at the portraiture of Marcia Marcus (1928–), whose works amount to an “unapologetic examination of female desire, race, and motherhood.” The first major survey of the artist’s work in over 30 years, this exhibition draws on several loans from museums and private collections to reintroduce Marcus to contemporary audiences, and features a catalogue with an essay by Jessica Bell Brown.
4 Great Jones Street, October 12–December 2, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Douglas Huebler, Truro Series #1 (1966). Courtesy of Paula Cooper Gallery.
19. “Douglas Huebler” at Paula Cooper Gallery
Paula Cooper presents a selection of rarely seen early work by Douglas Huebler from 1963–68. The artist is one of the founders of the Conceptual art movement, and ceased making the sculptures, wall reliefs, and paintings in this exhibition by the late ’60s.
521 West 21st Stret, October 14–November 22, 2017; opening reception 5 p.m.–7 p.m.
Tom Hammick’s Sky Atlas (2017). Courtesy of the artist.
20. “Tom Hammick: Lunar Voyage” at Flowers Gallery
Tom Hammick’s otherworldly landscapes blend the influences of Japanese woodblock prints and contemporary sci-fi cinema to achieve visions of the universe.
529 West 20th Street, October 24–December 17, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Misha Kahn. Courtesy of Friedman Benda.
21. “Misha Kahn: Midden Heap” at Friedman Benda
Misha Kahn’s latest work is born out of scavenging missions to Dead Horse Bay in the Rockaways, integrating assorted trash including broken bottles, toilet seats, and plastic bags into works made from more high-end techniques such as bronze casting and glass blowing. He has turned the gallery into an immersive installation inspired by the sea and its creatures.
515 West 26th Street, October 26–December 16, 2017; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Käthe Kollwitz, The Widow I from “War”(1921–22). Courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art.
22. “ALL GOOD ART IS POLITICAL: Kathe Kollwitz and Sue Coe” at Galerie St. Etienne
The only US exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of Käthe Kollwitz—there are more than 15 in Europe—”ALL GOOD ART IS POLITICAL” pairs her with Sue Coe, a contemporary artist who shares Kollwitz’s activist bent. Kollwitz’s prints responding to the violence and loss of World War I are juxtaposed with Coe’s explorations of the 21st-century justice system, creating a dialogue that spans a century.
24 West 57th Street, October 26, 2017–February 10, 2018; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Jill Freedman, Resurrection City, Poor Peoples Campaign, Washington, D.C., 1968. Courtesy of Steven Kasher.
23. “Jill Freedman: Resurrection City 1968” at Steven Kasher Gallery
In 1968, Jill Freedman documented the culmination Poor People’s Campaign as protesters built Resurrection City, a protest camp on the Washington Mall. Steven Kasher Gallery presents over 70 black-and-white vintage prints of this forgotten forerunner to this decade’s Occupy Wall Street movement.
515 West 26th Street, October 26–December 22, 2017; opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Thomas Hirschhorn, Pixel-Collage n°97. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels/photographer Romain Lopez.
24. “Thomas Hirschhorn: De-Pixelation” at Gladstone Gallery
After two years, Thomas Hirschhorn completes his “Pixel-Collage” series, which continues his work with giant, pixelated versions of images found online. The artist, who is interested in issues of censorship and self-censorship in the social media era, will give a talk at the gallery with art critic Hal Foster on Saturday, October 28, at 4 p.m.
530 West 21st Street, October 27–December 23, 2017; opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Nuvolo (Giorgio Ascani), Untitled (1960). Courtesy of Di Donna.
25. “Nuvolo and Post-War Materiality 1950–1965” at Di Donna
Di Donna has tapped Italian art historian Germano Celant, who coined the term Arte Povera, to curate this exhibition of his countryman Nuvolo. Born Giorgio Ascani (1926–2008), Nuvolo pioneered “painting” that eschewed the paintbrush, altering his cuciti a macchina canvases, for instance, by sewing machine instead. The show’s 20 works by the artist, rarely seen outside Italy, are complemented by pieces by other key Post War artists such as Alberto Burri, Lucio Fontana, and Cy Twombly.
744 Madison Avenue, October 26, 2017–January 26, 2018; opening reception 6 p.m.–8 p.m.