Rithika Merchant, “Lycanthropy” (2015), gouache and ink on paper (image via Stephen Romano Gallery)
This week, pay tribute to Saint Death, take in performances considering a queer Black future, put on your walking shoes — for visiting artists’ studios in Gowanus or architectural gems all over the city — and, as usual, much more.
Saint Death
When: Tuesday, October 13, 7:30 pm ($25)
Where: Green-Wood Cemetery’s Historic Chapel (500 25th Street, Sunset Park, Brooklyn)
Still from ‘La Santa Muerte’ (image via green-wood.com)
La Santa Muerte, a skeletal she-demon who protects delinquent souls, is the topic of a new documentary out of Mexico. This goddess of death has become the patron saint of a group of dispossessed youth who have turned away from Catholicism. A screening of the film will be followed by a discussion with the director, Eva Aridjis, exploring cult psychology, the culture of death, and the violent lives of Santa Muerte’s followers. Co-presented by the Morbid Anatomy Museum, the event will take place after dark in Green-Wood Cemetery’s Historic Chapel. —VR
Architectural Remains
When: Opens Wednesday, October 14, 6–8pm
Where: William Holman Gallery (65 Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan)
If you can’t get enough of Liene Bosquê’s work in Greater New York, you have a chance to see more of it in the artist’s first solo show at William Holman Gallery. In sculptures, impressions, and scraped postcards, Bosquê explores our relationship to architecture by way of its remains — what buildings become and leave behind, how we hold onto their images. It’s an especially poignant practice for a city like New York, where spaces and places change so frequently that a walk through an old neighborhood can quickly consume you with nostalgia.
Artist Talk with Arlene Shechet
When: Thursday, October 15, 7pm ($16 advance)
Where: Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)
Artist talks can be hit or miss, but when the work in question is as compelling as Arlene Shechet’s, I’m willing to take a chance. Shechet’s sculptures are smart, funny, funky, and otherworldly; they may look messy, but they’re products of incredible precision. This talk at the Brooklyn Museum comes on the heels of Shechet’s solo exhibition at the ICA Boston; our review by Heather Kapplow makes for a good primer or refresher.
Arlene Shechet, “Tattletale” (2012) (photo by Heather Kapplow)
Last Chance: Rithika Merchant
When: Closes Thursday, October 15 Sunday, October 25
Where: Stephen Romano Gallery (117 Grattan Street, Suite 112, Bushwick, Brooklyn)
Rithika Merchant’s Luna Tabulatorum was originally closing this Sunday, October 18, but has happily been extended another week. Made with ink and gouache on paper, Merchant’s delicate figurative illustrations depict the many mythologies surrounding the moon. Merchant has a unique and compelling visual lexicon that’s anthropomorphic and inspired by folklore. From lycanthropy and the occult to menstruation and femininity, Merchant explores the allure of the moon and the power it has as muse. —GSV
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When: Thursday, October 15–Sunday, October 18 (times & ticket prices vary)
Where: JACK (505 1/2 Waverly Avenue, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn)
It’s hard to stress just how excellent this weekend-long series sounds. Performances devoted to “utopian/dystopian visions of a queer Black tomorrow,” featuring CHEEKY LaSHAE, niv Acosta, and others? A brunch panel discussing “black art, white venues, and the new black presence in elite performance”? All the “days” in the days of the week changed to “gays” (e.g. Saturgay)? Sign me up.
PrintFest
When: Friday, Oct 16, 3–8pm; Saturday, Oct 17, 12–6pm
Where: Rogue Space Chelsea (508 W 26th Street, 9th floor, Manhattan)
The International Print Center New York is holding PrintFest, a print festival to display and sell undergraduate and graduate printmaking work. (Hyperallergic is a media sponsor.) New York and New Jersey schools such as Cooper Union, School of Visual Arts, Pratt, and FIT will all be represented. Love screenprinting, etching, and lithography? Come see and meet the next generation of printmakers. —GSV
A painting by Rachel Schmidhofer, “Chapstick,” in the artist’s studio at 126 13th Street (photo by Benjamin Sutton)
Gowanus Open Studios
When: Saturday, October 17–Sunday, October 18, 12–6pm
Where: Throughout Gowanus
It’s that time of year again! In addition to being a lot of fun, Gowanus Open Studios (Hyperallergic is a sponsor) gives you a chance to discover what’s going on in a sometimes overlooked but longstanding artist community in New York City. This year, there are more than 300 studios that will be open for visiting, plus a Beat Nite, curator-led tours (including one by Hyperallergic’s Benjamin Sutton), and a host of other special events. Also keep an eye out for an action at the Gowanus studio building that was recently sold, with dozens of artists kicked out in the process.
Open House New York
When: Saturday October 17–Sunday, October 18
Where: Various locations throughout New York City
Open House New York (OHNY) is once again upon us. With public access to hundreds of sites across the city — from colonial settlements to completely contemporary spaces— OHNY offers a chance to peek inside cultural landmarks and architectural wonders. Tours include the Gould Memorial Library & Hall of Fame, the Steinway’s Mansion, and Google HQ, and although some are already sold out, many others aren’t. See OHNY for full listings. —VR
Dome of the Gould Memorial Library & Hall of Fame at Bronx Community College (photo by Beyond My Ken/Wikipedia)
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With contributions by Gabriella Santiago-Vancak and Victoria Reis
