Art Rx
Summer continues in New York, and it's time to make the best of it! There's tons of good stuff to do this week, from the soft reopening of Postmasters gallery to a show of webcats comics to art books on sale.
Summer continues in New York, and it’s time to make the best of it! There’s tons of good stuff to do this week, from the soft reopening of Postmasters gallery in Tribeca to a show of webcats comics in Greenpoint. And don’t forget art books on sale at David Zwirner, a block party in Long Island City, and a chance to enter the Park Avenue Tunnel on foot and participate in a Rafael Lozano-Hemmer installation. For those who want to get away, the doctor recommends hopping on Metro North and heading up to the Wassaic Project Summer Festival. Whether you’re feeling ambitious or a little on the lazier side, the doctor bets she can find something for you.
Postmasters Redux
When: Tuesday, July 30, 6–9 pm
Where: Postmasters (54 Franklin Street, Tribeca, Manhattan)
Beloved gallery Postmasters recently packed up its things and headed south, to Tribeca, which is apparently a land of more space and lower rents, at least compared to Chelsea. They haven’t finished refurbishing the new space yet, but they’ve gutted it, which is cause for celebration! Stop by tonight for wine, cheese, fruit, a bee pollen cotton candy station, whatever that is, and a video installation by artist Serkan Ozkaya. High heels are not recommended.
The Fly Room
When: Wednesday, July 31, 7 pm
Where: Pioneer Works (159 Pioneer Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn)
Well, this is nerd-tastic: Pioneer Works and Imagine Science have teamed up to create “The Fly Room,” an installation in the Red Hook art space that re-creates a 1920s genetics lab where researchers studied fruit flies (on view through August 20). The lab/installation will host screenings, performances, and lectures, including one on Wednesday by Darcy Kelley that focuses on music and the brain (and next week, Claude Desplan on the genes for color).
OMG Webcats
When: Opens Thursday, August 1
Where: Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn)
OMG, it’s webcats come to life! Greenpoint bar/beer store Brouwerij Lane is hosting Then and Meow, a retrospective of drawings from the OMG Webcats tumblelog, created by artist Scott Chasse. Cat art mania continues. We hope they include this one:
Pop-Up Art Bookstore
When: Through Friday, August 2
Where: David Zwirner (533 West 19th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)
David Zwirner’s pop-up art bookshop (co-hosted by Artbook / DAP) offers a great chance to find art books, including signed catalogues, plus DVDs, posters, and more goodies on the cheap. We’re quite pleased this has become an annual event. Happy hunting.
Wassaic Project
When: Friday, August 2–Sunday, August 4
Where: The Maxon Mills (37 Furnace Bank Road, Wassaic, NY)
If you’re looking get out of town this weekend, for a day trip or overnight, the Wassaic Project Summer Festival is a good bet for high-quality art in a welcoming and unpretentious setting (the project is housed in a converted grain elevator and a former auction barn). You can take a Metro North train right up to Wassaic and walk to the festival from there. The festival includes music, dance, and art performances, with the sixth annual Wassaic Project summer group exhibition — Homeward Found, featuring over 60 artists — on view nearby.
LIC Block Party
When: Saturday, August 3, 12–5 pm
Where: Purves Street at Jackson Ave & 43rd Ave (Long Island City, Queens)
More outdoor arty summer fun! If Wassaic is too far, Long Island City is an accessible alternative. Sculpture Center will host a block party on Saturday, with free admission at the center; artist-led activities such as donut and thaumatrope making; performances by a range of artists and groups, including the LIC YMCA Bollywood dancers (!); and an artist market featuring original works, clothing, and publications for sale.
Park Avenue Voice Tunnel
When: Saturday, August 3 (also happens August 10 & 17), 7 am–1 pm
Where: Park Avenue Tunnel (33rd Street entrance, Midtown, Manhattan)
Walk to the center of the Park Avenue Tunnel — it will be closed to traffic for the occasion, open to pedestrians for the first time in history — and intone your brief message into a silver intercom. Listen as it courses through the tunnel in a wave of speech and light, as determined by the pitch and volume of each voice. The NYPD attempted to censor the work, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s “Voice Tunnel,” by instituting a time-delay, but the artist fought back, telling the New York Times: “This is the place for people to express their views. That’s what this project is about. And if you want to censor it — I’ve never in my life censored a work, and I won’t do it.” The eventual compromise involves someone monitoring the messages in real time with a finger on a delete button. Go test their reflexes. —MH
Monkey Town 3
When: Through Sunday, August 11 ($50–75)
Where: Eyebeam (540 West 21st Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)
For this summer, Monkey Town has taken up residence at Chelsea art and tech nonprofit space Eyebeam. True to its original incarnation in Williamsburg, a seamless floating cube of projection screens with surround sound constructs a “cinema-in-the-round” dining experience. This series, co-curated by Montgomery Knott and Maggie Lee, features 21 artists and four chefs in total, with each program running about two hours. The prices may seem high, but they include include admission, food, drinks, and gratuity. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and this week’s screenings are already sold out, so get your tickets for next week now! —ML
* * *
With contributions by Mostafa Heddaya and Marina Lorenzini
