Martha Wilson, “beauty is in the eye” (2014), pigmented ink print on canson rag photographique, makeup by Melissa Roth, photograph by Michael Katchen, 16 x 24 inches (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)
Whether you’re looking for fun things to do with your family this week or trying to escape them, we’ve got you covered. Check out a sound installation about gender, a claymation workshop for kids, Hayao Miyazaki’s films on the big screen, and more.
Last Chance: Martha Wilson
When: Ends Tuesday, December 22
Where: PPOW gallery (535 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)
Martha Wilson has always been an astute critic of the impossible standards to which society holds women, and in her latest solo show, she casts her sharp eye on the process of aging. With markups of the wrinkles on her face and a self-portrait as a skeleton wearing a T-shirt that says, “I’m going to die,” the work is far from subtle — but in her willingness to unflinchingly use herself as a subject, Wilson confronts us with the material reality of a process that renders older women invisible.
“Double Mouth Feedback”
Jonah Groeneboer, “Double Mouth Feedback” (2015) (photo by Charles Roussel, courtesy the artist and MoMA PS1)
When: Thursday, December 24, 12–3pm
Where: MoMA PS1 (22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens)
Escape the ever-present soundtrack of Christmas carols at Jonah Groeneboer’s sound installation, produced in collaboration with electronic composer Bruno Coviello.
Part of Greater New York’s performance program, “Double Mouth Feedback” is the result of a series of vocal recordings by dozens of participants, created over the course of three months. Each recording is a response to the artist’s prompts about gender; the final composition stands as a collective expression of identity that describes and reimagines gender constructs. —CV
Claymation with Shaun the Sheep
When: Saturday, December 26–Friday, January 1, screenings 12:30pm daily ($12 adult/$6 children), workshops 2:30pm daily ($5 per child)
Where: Museum of the Moving Image (36-01 35th Avenue, Astoria, Queens)
Though I have yet to see Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015), the critical consensus is that it’s absolutely brilliant. I’d very happily sit through anything produced by Aardman Animations (the Wallace and Gromit series, Chicken Run, Angry Kid). The Museum of the Moving Image is hosting a daily matinee from December 26 through January 1. Each screening will be followed by a one-hour claymation workshop in which young children can build their own creatures. Perfect for parents or those who have a visiting niece or nephew to entertain. —TM
Yule Log 2.015
When: Opens Monday, December 28
Where: BRIC House (647 Fulton Street, Fort Greene, Brooklyn)
You probably can’t burn a real log on a hearth this Christmas because you live in NYC and don’t have a working fireplace. You might be planning to play one of those looping Yule log videos in the background of whatever dinner/party/event you’re hosting. But why use a boring regular Yule log video when you could play an artist’s remake of it — or dozens of them in a row? Yule Log 2.015 offers many options, from a bundle of wood that seems to be time traveling through fireplaces to an animated Lego version. Watch them at home, or enjoy them with a cup of hot chocolate in the cafe at BRIC House.
Studio Ghibli at IFC
When: Ongoing through December 31
Where: IFC Center (323 Sixth Avenue, Greenwich Village, Manhattan)
Whether you’re Jewish or not, Christmas is a good time to see movies, and the IFC Center’s retrospective of films from Studio Ghibli — aka the house of Hayao Miyazaki — should be at the top of your list. Miyazaki’s films are stunning works of art how and wherever you watch them, but seeing them on the big screen lets you get lost in the incredible details and colors of their animations. I’m particularly excited for the chance to see The Wind Rises, Miyazaki’s last film before retiring, in the theater.
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With contributions by Tiernan Morgan and Claire Voon
