Guðmundur Thoroddsen, “Total Mayhem” (2016), watercolor, graphite, ink and collage on paper, 26 x 40 inches (image courtesy Asya Geisberg Gallery) (click to enlarge)
This week, Cory Arcangel opens a new show starring a drum machine, psychoanalysts and writers dissect the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, the city celebrates Rare Book Week, and more.
Not So Still Lifes
When: Opens Tuesday, April 5
Where: Wave Hill (West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Riverdale, the Bronx)
The still life is not dead, apparently. In this group show, artists interpret the interior of Glyndor Gallery, which was once a home, with a series of contemporary takes on the genre. From cicadas cast in porcelain to photos of a meal’s leftovers to video animations of Dutch paintings, the works, while visiting old themes of memory and the transience of life, do not confine themselves to the interior, nor are they necessarily still. —EWA
Patriarchy in Crisis
When: Opens Thursday, April 7, 6–8pm
Where: Asya Geisberg Gallery (537B W 23rd Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)
Guðmundur Thoroddsen’s sculptures and paintings depict what look like ancient totems or Sumerian gods, except that their sacredness and divinity are undermined by scenarios of figures pissing or materials like excrement and burnt wood. Working for this show in ceramic and collage, the Icelandic artist explores humanity’s obsession with worship and religious idols, which he makes clear are enduring symbols of patriarchy. His sculptures assert a sense of historical importance, while poking fun at the present and the past. —EWA
(via teamgal.com)
Cory Arcangel’s Krush Groove
When: Opens Thursday, April 7
Where: Team Gallery (47 Wooster Street, Soho, Manhattan)
Curious about what new media wunderkind Cory Arcangel would be showing in his upcoming exhibition, I emailed Team Gallery for more information. Here’s what they sent me:
MCS will feature an oberheim DMX drum machine hooked up to a party pack PA system. The beat is culled from Run-D.M.C.’s “Sucker M.C.’s (Krush Groove 1),” which was originally a b-side for the hit single “It’s Like That” and is now an oft-sampled and historically significant document in the history of hip-hop. Originally from a suite of four “Krush Grooves,” one of the producers (Davy DMX of Orange Krush) stripped the beat of everything but a pulsating beat and the occasional bit of scratching and mixing, thereby beckoning minimalism into the narrative of hip-hop. Due to its essentiality, “Krush Groove 1” has become one of the most sampled beats and is frequently borrowed by both MC’s as well as musicians from other genres.
All About Rosemary’s Baby
(via swissinstitute.net)
When: Friday, April 8, 7pm (screening) and Saturday, April 9, 2–5:30pm (RSVP required)
Where: Swiss Institute (18 Wooster Street, Soho, Manhattan)
Though one scarcely needs an excuse to rewatch Roman Polanski’s claustrophobic thriller Rosemary’s Baby (1969), the Swiss Institute has given us one in the form of this symposium devoted to the film that will include appearances by CUNY philosophy professor Kyoo Lee, psychoanalysts Andrew Ragni and Jamieson Webster, and writers Lucy Teitler and Moira Weigel, among others. Refresh your familiarity with the movie on Friday night with a free screening, then return to discuss its details and satanic symbolism on Saturday afternoon. —BS
Choreographic Collaboration
(via nortemaar.org)
When: Friday, April 8–Sunday, April 10 ($20/$15 concession)
Where: The Actors Fund Arts Center (160 Schermerhorn Street, Fort Greene, Brooklyn)
In this Norte Maar and Brooklyn Ballet collaboration, seven women choreographers will pair their performances with works by seven Brooklyn-based women visual artists. Choreographed by women at different stages of their career who mix classical, modern, and contemporary styles, all of the dances will explore the pointe technique. The pairings — such as Lynn Parkerson’s improvisational, musical movements with Michelle Forsyth’s memory-based works — are aimed at “investigating the process of creation, inspiration and development,” and each is bound to make unique formal and conceptual connections regarding the painful but elegant pointe shoe. —EWA
Habibicastles
When: Ends Saturday, April 9
Where: Babycastles (137 W 14th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)
To mark the start of Arab-American Heritage Month, Babycastles is hosting the excellently titled Habibicastles, a celebration of Arab culture and experience. Through Saturday, the small gallery features four visual artists and five video-game makers, whose work ranges from confessinal comics about being Palestinian (Leila Abdelrazaq and Marguerite Dabaie) to mesmerizing games inspired by traditional Iranian patterns (Mahdi Bahrami).
Queens International
When: Opens Sunday, April 10, 4–8pm
Where: Queens Museum (New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens)
Yes, it’s another big grab bag survey show recurring every X years. But because the Queens International highlights artists living and/or working in Queens, and because Queens is the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world (really), it stands to reason that this one will highlight a really interesting cross-section of art. This year’s edition will encompass both preexisting and commissioned projects, plus collaborations extending beyond the borders of the borough.
Rare Book Week
When: Ongoing through Wednesday, April 13
Where: Various locations
If you’re in the market for a 15th-century copy of Ptolemy’s Cosmographia or just enjoy perusing weathered tomes for your aspirational library, the 2016 NYC Rare Book Week has an assembly of fairs, auctions, and exhibitions highlighting exceptional books. While the focus is the Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory, where over 200 dealers will offer their wares, there are also featured exhibitions, including highlights from the library of psychoanalyst Ernest Jones at Sotheby’s and an exploration of the people behind medieval manuscripts at Les Enluminures. —AM
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With contributions by Elisa Wouk Almino, Allison Meier, and Benjamin Sutton
