The fall art season is quickly upon us as galleries in New York return from their August hibernation and bring out key shows to chase away the summer languor. William J. Simmons aptly captured our sentiments when he tweeted, “Holy crap Chelsea galleries there are other days on the calendar besides September 10th.”
To help you navigate the mess of fall openings, we offer up a calendar of some of the exhibitions we’re most anticipating at museums and galleries (mostly) in New York.
The shows below range from the established favorites (a recreation Roy Lichtenstein’s 1983 mural at Gagosian, and Hauser & Wirth’s first posthumous Mike Kelley show) to the newer and more intriguing (Katherine Bernhardt‘s exuberant paintings at Venus Over Manhattan and Trevor Paglen at Metro Pictures).
And there’s so much more! Enjoy our selection.
SEPTEMBER
Dana Schutz, Lion Eating Its Tamer (2015).
Photo: Courtesy Petzel.
1. Dana Schutz at Petzel
Dana Schutz, a great contemporary painter, promises new compositions packed—literally packed—with the same exploding, angular weirdness that fans have come to love. The pitch here is that the paintings in “Fight in an Elevator” are all explorations of claustrophobia, portraying scenes glimpsed as the doors of some evil fantasy chamber opens for a second to reveal its cargo of turbulent figures within. It’s something like the “Elevator of Blood” from The Shining, but ebulliently colored and mixed with the fervor of your average 5:30 post-work crush. (Ben Davis)
Dana Schutz, “Fight in an Elevator,” will be on view at Petzel Gallery from September 10-October 24, 2015.
2. Trevor Paglen at Metro Pictures
When he hit the scene, Trevor Paglen seemed like a true outlier, a geographer-artist obsessed with documenting government plots that seemed too paranoid-sounding to be real. Post-Snowden, mainstream culture has caught up with him in a big way (incidentally, he worked on Laura Poitras’s Snowden documentary, Citizenfour). Paglen remains adept at finding the exact visual fragments that help get a grasp on the unknown powers that weigh on the political present. What secrets the new Metro Pictures show holds remains a mystery—but a portentous trailer featuring underwater footage is more than enough to get us excited. (Ben Davis)
“Trevor Paglen” will be on view at Metro Pictures from September 10-October 10, 2015.
Keltie Ferris, Orion.
Image: Courtesy Mitchell-Innes & Nash.
3. Keltie Ferris at Mitchell-Innes & Nash
This is Keltie Ferris’s second solo show at the gallery and her first solo show in New York in three years; this time around, she’s showing a dozen works she made during a stint in Los Angeles, as well as “body prints” from a summer spent in Bearsville, New York. The works on view include her colorful signature glitchy airbrushed oil paintings as well as new “body prints” that evoke Yves Klein’s “Anthropometrie” series, with one key exception: here, the work is done fully clothed. (Kathleen Massara)
“Keltie Ferris” is on view at Mitchell-Innes & Nash from September 10-October 17, 2015.
Mike Kelley, Exploded Fortress of Solitude (2011). Detail.
Photo: © Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. All Rights Reserved/Licensed by VAGA, New York NY.
Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Fredrik Nilsen.
4. Mike Kelley at Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth’s first exhibition by Mike Kelley features the artist’s last major series comprising sculpture, video, and installation inspired by the fictional city of Kandor, the capital city of Superman’s home planet Krypton. (Cait Munro)
“Mike Kelley” will be on view at Hauser & Wirth New York from September 10–October 24, 2015.
Daniel Riera, Untitled (Carlos) (2010).
Photo: Courtesy Casa de Costa.
5. Daniel Riera at Casa de Costa
“The Vivid Language” is Daniel Riera’s first solo show in the United States. The Barcelona-based photographer and video artist is responsible for one of our favorite contributions to a publication in recent memory: an homage to the nipple in the anthology Forever Butt. At Casa de Costa, Riera is creating an “immersive installation” of photo and video work within Jason Costa’s queerious carriage house gallery in the Upper East Side. (Kathleen Massara)
Daniel Riera, “The Vivid Language,” is on view at Casa de Costa from September 9-October 22, 2015.
Billy Childish, Three Birch Trees (2015).
Photo; Courtesy Lehmann Maupin.
6. Billy Childish at Lehmann Maupin
British artist Billy Childish is back in New York for his fourth exhibition with Lehmann Maupin, which even includes a handy hashtag for selfies with the artist’s latest oil paintings: #billychildish. (The Stuckist is moving into the Internet Age, it seems.) The exhibition, “flowers, nudes and birch trees: New Paintings 2015,” features the mental wanderings of the mustachioed polymath artist, who is also a musician and “confessional poet” bent on painting scenes that evoke childhood and wonder. (Kathleen Massara)
Billy Childish, “flowers, nudes and birch trees: New Paintings 2015,” will be on view at Lehmann Maupin from September 10-October 31, 2015.
Barnaby Furnas,
The First Place, April,(2015).
Photo by Photo credit: Jason Wyche. Image:
Courtesy the artist and Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York © Barnaby Furnas
7. Barnaby Furnas at Marianne Boesky
With his new show “First Morning,” Painter Barnaby Furnas departs from his usual blood-red depictions of battle scenes and brightly-lit rock concerts and tackles large-scale landscapes. The works, intended to be contemporary renderings of what the first morning on Earth or the first American landscape might have looked like, carry the same energy as the previous paintings. These however, were inspired by drawing sessions he had with his son, which would go something like this: Barnaby would make a tree, his son would add a sun, and they would continue adding objects back-and-forth until they finished a picture. (Eileen Kinsella)
Barnaby Furnas, “First Morning,” is on view at Marianne Boesky from September 10–October 10, 2015.
Sergej Jensen at Buchholz.
Photo: courtesy Buchholz.
8. Sergej Jensen at Galerie Buchholz
For its second show, the newly opened Upper East Side space of Galerie Buchholz, which was originally based in Berlin and Cologne, will have a solo presentation of never-before-seen paintings and drawings by Danish artist Sergej Jensen. Often working under the guise of a minimalist, Jensen uses fabric including burlap, linen, and silk as canvas to create memorable compositions. Jensen also produces his own music, film, and performances. (Christie Chu)
“Sergej Jensen” will be on view at Galerie Buchholz from September 10–October 31, 2015.
The original Greene Street Mural.
Photo: Courtesy Lichtenstein Foundation.
9. Roy Lichtenstein at Gagosian
A recreation of Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s 1983 mural by the same name, this temporary wall painting was created under the guidance of his former studio manager. In keeping with the ephemeral spirit of the original project at Leo Castelli’s 142 Greene Street location, the piece will be destroyed at the end of the exhibition. Other works by Lichtenstein will be on display as well. (Cait Munro)
“Greene Street Mural” will be on view at Gagosian Gallery at West 24th Street from September 10-October 17, 2015.
Katherine Bernhardt, from “Pablo and Efrain.”
Photo: Courtesy Venus Over Manhattan.
10. Katherine Bernhardt at Venus Over Manhattan
Bernhardt’s latest work was inspired by a trip to Puerto Rico, so be prepared for lots of flora, fauna, and fruit along with the occasional non sequitur, like cigarettes and toilet paper. Bernhardt painted a “teaser” mural outside the gallery’s Los Angeles outpost this summer. (Cait Munro)
Katherine Bernhardt, “Pablo & Efrain,” will be on view at Venus Over Manhattan from September 9-October 24, 2015.
Rachel Whiteread, Detached III (2012).
© Rachel Whiteread; Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York.
11. Rachel Whiteread at Luhring Augustine
Fans of Rachel Whiteread, who is known for her large-scale resin sculptures that often depict negative space through positive impressions, will be treated to a double dose of her work this fall. The first show, titled “Looking Out” will feature early large-scale works on paper as well as a recent monolithic sculpture at the Bushwick outpost of Luhring Augustine. The second show titled (what else?) “Looking In” will consist of new resin sculptures at the Chelsea gallery. (Eileen Kinsella)
Rachel Whiteread, “Looking Out” is on view at Luhring Augustine in Bushwick from September 19–December 20, 2015. “Looking In” runs from November 6-December 19, 2015 at the gallery’s Chelsea location.
Installation view of Untitled (Iraq Book Project) (2008-2010).
Photo: Peter Mallet. Courtesy of Hauser & Wirth.
12. Rachel Khedoori at Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth hosts Sydney-born artist Rachel Khedoori for her second US solo show. For “Iraq Book Project,” an installation that Khedoori exhibited in the gallery’s London space in 2010, she bound together thousands of online articles containing the words “Iraq,” “Iraqi,” or “Baghdad” in large books for visitors to leaf through. (Clara Zevi)
“Rachel Khedoori” is on view at Hauser & Wirth from September 15-October 24.
Geoff McFetridge, What Drops/What We Carry, 2015, acrylic on canvas.
13. Geoff McFetridge at Joshua Liner
Even if you don’t yet know the name of artist/designer Geoff McFetridge, you’ve seen his work if you’ve watched the films The Virgin Suicides and Adaptation (for both of which he designed the title sequences) or Her, for which he designed the graphics of the software interfaces. He was also art director for the Beastie Boys’ magazine Grand Royal, and has undertaken design projects for clients ranging from Girl Skateboards to Nike. He brings his snappy graphic sensibility to his first show with Joshua Liner, in which his acrylic paintings of figures involved in mysterious activities evoke stills from a buzzy animation. (Brian Boucher)
Geoff McFetridge, “It Looks Like It Says,” will be on view at Joshua Liner from September 10-October 10, 2015.
Sara Sze, The Last Garden
(Landscape of Events Suspended Indefinitely)
(2015).
Installation in the Giardino delle Vergini
La Biennale di Venezia 56th International Art Exhibition 2015, All the World’s Futures.Image: Courtesy of the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York; Victoria Miro, London.
14. Sarah Sze at Tanya Bonakdar
For Sarah Sze’s first major gallery show stateside since representing the U.S. at the 55th Venice Biennale, the artist will again propose bounteous, bric-a-brac installations of stuff we regularly overlook. Expect inspired sculptural interpretations of democratic consumerism that evoke both Walt Whitman and Target sales bins. (Christian Viveros-Fauné)
Sarah Sze will be on view September 10–October 17.
Lisa Yuskavage, Wilderness (2009).
Collection of Liz and Eric Lefkofsky. Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner, New York:London
15. Lisa Yuskavage at the Rose Art Museum
Lisa Yuskavage’s first U.S. museum solo in more than 15 years is less a career survey than a précis of the genius that characterizes America’s ballsiest painter. Bringing together 25 years of work, “The Brood” presents highlights from a life that brassily reinvented the modern figure. Her answer to why this show took so long to cook up: “No one likes to be punched in the face by a woman.” (Christian Viveros-Fauné)
“Lisa Yuskavage: The Brood” will be on view September 12–December 13.
Will Ryman, The Situation Room.
Photo: Will Ryman.
16. Will Ryman at Paul Kasmin
The first installation in Will Ryman’s two-room show, The Situation Room (2012–14), recreates from coal dust the iconic photo of the Obama administration watching the successful 2011 raid that took out Osama Bin Laden. Ryman’s most recent work, Classroom, the second installation, comprises 12 copies of a figure of a child, each made from a different industrially produced substance—chrome, salt, titanium, and cadmium, to name a few—in a commentary on the exploitation of workers. (Sarah Cascone)
“Will Ryman: Two Rooms” will be on view September 10–October 17.
Claudia and Julia Muller. Installation view of “Umkehrschub.”
Image: Courtesy of the artists and Maccarone.
17. Claudia and Julia Müller at Maccarone
Boundaries are made porous in this show of the Swiss sisters Claudia and Julia Müller where ceramics are arranged with a large-scale wall drawing and monoprint-on-canvas works. The first show of their work since their 2002 debut at the gallery, “Umkehrschub” will offer “various processes of translation” whereby the relationship between ceramics, statuary, drawing, and painting are explored. (Rozalia Jovanovic)
Umkehrschub will be on view from September 12-October 17, 2015.
Ed Atkins, Even Pricks (2013), film still.
Photo: Ed Atkins.
18. Ed Atkins at Gavin Brown
Gavin Brown inaugurates his highly-anticipated new space in Harlem (or, as the developers would like you to think of it, the Manhattanville Factory District) with an exhibition of work by video artist Ed Atkins, known for his use of stock footage and uncanny CGI characters animated using motion capture. Brown was initially aiming for a late September debut uptown, but the gallery website has only announced fall openings on Grand Street, of John Seal, and in Rome, of Uri Aran. (Sarah Cascone)
Dates for Ed Atkins have yet to be announced. “Uri Aran” will be on view September 18–October 17 at Gavin Brown’s gallery in Rome, while “John Seal” appears at 291 Grand Street, September 23–October 25, 2015.
Installation of “Carl Andre: In His Time.”
Photo: Tom Powel Imaging.
19. Carl Andre at Mnuchin Gallery
Andre’s early floor sculptures will share the stage with work from his contemporaries, including Dan Flavin, Sol LeWitt, and Frank Stella, in an exploration of 1960s Minimalism. Expect some backlash for the controversial artist: during his 2014 Dia Art Foundation retrospective, protesters who believe that Andre killed his late wife Ana Mendieta spilled chicken blood on the sidewalk in front of the organization’s Chelsea office. (Sarah Cascone)
“Carl Andre in His Time” will be on display September 9–December 5
OCTOBER
Jim Shaw, Labyrinth : I dreamed I was taller than Jonathan Borofsky (2009).
Photo: Courtesy New Museum.
20. Jim Shaw at the New Museum
Shaw is like a divining rod for American weirdness, and the New Museum sounds like it is turning him loose to display the multifaceted results of his explorations. Look forward to a historical cross-section of the L.A.-based artist’s weird, wild art, from very early drawings using airbrush to his frenzied walk-in theatrical environment Labyrinth: I Dreamt I was Taller than Jonathan Borofsky, from 2009. On top of this, considerable space is set aside for Shaw’s collection of found thrift store paintings and oddball real-life religious pamphlets, documenting his obsession with obsession in all its forms. (Ben Davis)
Jim Shaw, “The End is Near,” is on view at the New Museum from Oct. 7, 2015-Jan. 10, 2016.
MoMA PS1.
Photo: Courtesy MoMA PS1.
21. Greater New York 2015 at MoMA PS1
Taking place every five years since the initial 2000 show, “Greater New York” has principally showcased rising talents in sprawling roundups of the Gotham metropolitan area. The first outing included Julie Mehretu and Lisa Yuskavage; the 2005 show helped launch Paul Chan and Dana Schutz; and the 2010 iteration offered Leigh Ledare and Ryan McNamara. GNY 2015 shifts away from the focus on youth to include more established artists. Always curated by a committee of museum staffers, the show this time around, for the first time, brings in an outside big gun: University of Rochester art historian Douglas Crimp, curator of the seminal “Pictures” exhibition at Artists Space in 1997. He’ll organize the show along with Peter Eleey, MoMA PS1’s curator and associate director of exhibitions and programs; Thomas J. Lax, associate curator of media and performance art at MoMA; and Mia Locks, MoMA PS1 assistant curator. (Brian Boucher)
“Greater New York” will be on view at MoMA PS1 from October 11, 2015–March 07, 2016.
Walid Raad. Let’s be honest, the weather helped, Saudi Arabia. (1998/2006). Pigmented inkjet print.
© 2015 Walid Raad.
22. Walid Raad at Museum of Modern Art
The first comprehensive American survey of the artist will feature 200 works concerning war, memory, trauma, and Middle Eastern history. Raad grew up during the Lebanese civil war(s), and left Beirut for Rochester, New York, in 1983 when the fighting intensified. His fictional collective, the Atlas Group, has been a means for him to question, and even mock, the distinctions between fiction and reality, especially when it pertains to contested territories. At MoMA, the artist will also “activate” five platform stages for a series of presentations on art speculation. (Kathleen Massara)
“Walid Raad” will be on view at Museum of Modern Art from October 12, 2015 – January 31, 2016.
Rachel Rose, still from Everything and More (2015).
Photo: Rachel Rose, courtesy Pilar Corrias Gallery, London.
23. Rachel Rose at the Whitney Museum
Rachel Rose has her debut US solo exhibition this fall at the Whitney Museum. Part of a trio chosen for its inaugural emerging artist series, Rose’s video installations will occupy the museum’s fifth-floor Kaufman Gallery, exploring the pervasiveness of images, connotations, and the relationship with the space. (Lauren Palmer)
“Rachel Rose” will be on view at the Whitney Museum from October 30, 2015—February 7, 2016.
Alex Israel, Sightings.
Photo: Courtesy Nasher Sculpture Center.
24. Alex Israel at the Nasher Sculpture Center
In continuing “Sightings,” the Nasher Sculpture Center’s series of smaller exhibitions, Alex Israel will display a collection of sculptural objects suggestive of Hollywood’s allure. This narrative installation, a prelude to a film the artist is currently working on, will take visitors through the space, carefully navigating each cinema-inspired sculpture. (Clara Zevi)
“Sightings: Alex Israel” will be on view at the Nasher Sculpture Center from October 10, 2015-January 31, 2016.
NOVEMBER
Photo: Francesco Vezzoli’s “Right You Are (If You Think You Are),” 2007; © Paula Court, Courtesy of Performa, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Gagosian Gallery
25. Performa Biennial at various NYC venues
Robin Rhode, Francesco Vezzoli, and Oscar Murillo are a few of the artists who have been commissioned for Performa 15. At the last iteration of this always anticipated event, which commissions visual artists to experiment with performance art, Rashid Johnson staged a play in a bathhouse and Ryan McNamara devised a groovy ballet about the Internet. It will take you all over the city so get ready to pack your schedule. It all kicks off on November 1. We can’t wait. (Rozalia Jovanovic)
Performa Biennial 2015 will be on view from November 1-22, 2015.
A diptych by Mary Heilmann, Shadow and Splash (2015).
Image:”© Mary Heilmann, courtesy 303 Gallery, New York
26. Mary Heilmann at 303 Gallery
For her third solo exhibition at 303, Mary Heilmann continues exploring and experimenting with abstract painting’s history and materiality, imbueing her colorful works with both pop and personal references. The show will feature new paintings, ceramics and her distinctive furniture sculptures. (Eileen Kinsella)
“Mary Heilmann” will be on view at 303 Gallery from November 5–December 19, 2015.
Martin Wong, Brainwashing Cult Cons Top TV Stars, 1981, acrylic on canvas. Photo courtesy the Bronx Museum of the Arts.
27. Martin Wong at the Bronx Museum of the Arts
The first in-depth look at painter Martin Wong in his adopted home city since his death, this full-dress retrospective will include a whopping 100 works, and will span his earliest work in ceramics, the field in which he was trained, along with his classic paintings of New York’s Lower East Side, and the little-seen late paintings from his final years, spent in San Francisco, where he died from AIDS. (Brian Boucher)
“Martin Wong: Human Instamatic” will be on view November 5, 2015-February 14, 2016.
Bridget Riley, Serenissima (1982).
Image: © Bridget Riley 2015. Courtesy of David Zwirner.
28. Bridget Riley at David Zwirner
Details have yet to be revealed, but admirers of Bridget Riley will want to visit David Zwirner later this fall. It’s anyone’s guess what the focus will be, but if her current UK retrospective is any indication, there will be plenty to delight. (Lauren Palmer)
Bridget Riley will be on display November 5-December 19, 2015
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