There are a number of firsts in the art world this week, with first solo exhibitions by artists Josh Smith at David Zwirner, Sanya Kantarovsky at Luhring Augustine, Aldo Bakker at Carpenters Workshop Gallery, and Tanya Goel’s first-ever U.S. solo exhibition at Nature Morte. Read on for Galerie’s picks of the must-see art and design events in New York.
1. Tanya Goel: This, the Sublime, and Its Double
Nature Morte
Tanya Goel is one of the buzziest artists in the Indian contemporary art scene. Inspired by the rapid urbanization of her hometown, New Delhi, her geometric paintings are crafted with pigments made from crushed glass, charcoal, and ceramics found at sites of demolition in the region. This pop-up exhibition with the Indian gallery Nature Morte is her first solo show in New York and will showcase a series of graphic new paintings. Goel’s works will also be shown at the gallery’s booth at Frieze New York next week.
Where: Nature Morte, Highline Nine Galleries, Gallery 5, 507 West 27th Street
When: Opening reception: Wednesday, April 24, 6–8 p.m.; on view through May 21
Recommended: See the Guggenheim Musuem’s Most Popular Show Ever
2. Warhol Women
Lévy Gorvy
Hot off the heels of the recently closed Andy Warhol blockbuster at the Whitney Museum, this thoughtfully curated exhibition focuses on just one strand of his multifaceted practice: his lifelong fascination with depicting women, revealing a complex relationship to ideals of femininity. Presented chronologically across all three levels of the historic Lévy Gorvy townhouse on Madison Avenue, the exhibition focuses on the years 1960 through 1980. Expect to find some of Warhol’s most iconic portraits, including Marilyn Monroe and the Mona Lisa, as well as Wilhelmina Ross from his famous “Drag Queen” series. “Warhol Women” includes loans from important institutions, including major contributions from Froehlich Collection in Stuttgart, Germany.
Where: Lévy Gorvy, 909 Madison Avenue
When: Opening reception: Wednesday, April 24, 6–8 p.m.; on view through June 15
3. Jonas Wood
Gagosian
The Los Angeles artist creates his paintings and works on paper by layering and collaging photography, projection, drawing, and, finally, painting, often resulting in quiet, intimate scenes. On view is a selection of 15 paintings and 15 works on paper, including depictions of interiors and exteriors, ceramic vessels, and Wood’s family members. It’s an important year for Jonas Wood, who is also having his first-ever museum solo show at the Dallas Art Museum. Featuring over 30 works, the survey spanning 13 years of his career is on view through October 11.
Where: Gagosian, 555 West 24th Street
When: Opening reception: Wednesday, April 24, 6–8 p.m.; on view through July 19
4. Paola Pivi: We Are the Baby Gang
Perrotin
Six years after inaugurating Perrotin’s Madison Avenue gallery with her last show in New York, the Italian artist returns with 70 of her playful feathered bear sculptures, but this time they are baby bears. Each work’s title expresses the perspective of the bear: I Need to Improve My Roar, Here Comes My Mom, and I Cannot Wait to Grow Up are just a few of the names Pivi gives to her lively creatures. Don’t miss the two other exhibitions taking place concurrently at the gallery: contemporary abstract painter John Henderson on the first floor and four historical works by Claude Rutault on the second floor.
Where: Perrotin, 130 Orchard Street
When: Opens Thursday, April 25; on view through June 8
5. Aldo Bakker: Slow Motion
Carpenters Workshop Gallery
For the Dutch artist’s first solo show with the Chelsea gallery, a gathering of ten brand-new sculptural stools, tables, and vessels will be presented. The striking sculptural pieces incorporate a variety of materials such as stone, metal, and a Japanese lacquer process called urushi. Their quirky forms are said to represent our own behavioral idiosyncrasies, according to an artist statement.
Where: Carpenters Workshop Gallery, 693 Fifth Avenue
When: Opens Thursday, April 25
6. Josh Smith: Emo Jungle
David Zwirner
All three of David Zwirner’s galleries will be taken over by artist Josh Smith, the buzzworthy painter known for brushy, exuberant depictions of palm trees, leaves, and insects. Smith joined the powerhouse gallery David Zwirner in 2017, and this will be his first show there. Expect an ambitious series that pushes his practice to new levels.
Where: David Zwirner, 519, 525 and 533 West 19th Street
When: Opening reception: Thursday, April 25, 6–8 p.m.; on view through July 19
7. Portia Munson: Pink Projects
Rockefeller Center
Beginning this week, if you walk through Rockefeller Center, you’ll see that various glass vitrines ordinarily used by shops to display wares have been taken over by bright-pink installations of plastic combs, sequined dresses, and tiny Barbie Doll shoes. The installations are part of artist Portia Munson’s “Pink Projects,” an ongoing series of sculpture, video, and prints that explores how the color pink has been used to market products to girls and women. Presented in partnership with the Art Production Fund’s yearlong series Art in Focus, the installations, in some of the busiest corridors of the city, are all the more striking in these historically male-dominated environs.
Where: Various locations throughout Rockefeller Center, including inside 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, and the street and concourse levels of 45 Rockefeller Plaza, as well as outside in Rockefeller Plaza.
When: April 22–July 4
8. Free Arts NYC Art Auction
Phillips
Free Arts NYC, the nonprofit that provides arts education and mentorship to low-income, homeless, abused, and neglected children, will host its annual benefit auction celebrating artists Eddie Martinez and Sam Moyer, and honoring Linda and Richard Schaps. The event will include cocktails and a DJ set by Mia Moretti, and dinner guests will leave with a limited-edition gift created by the honorees in collaboration with Maison Margiela. Tickets here.
Where: Phillips, 450 Park Avenue
When: Thursday, April 25, 6–8 p.m.
9. Frieze Sculpture
Rockefeller Center
Following the success of Frieze Sculpture 2018 in London Regents Park, New York is getting its own version just ahead of Frieze Art Fair New York. Rockefeller Center’s largest-ever display of artwork will spotlight 14 international artists, including Nick Cave, Kiki Smith, Joan Miró, and Hank Willis Thomas. Brett Littman, director of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in Long Island City, has curated the selection, which will be presented in partnership with leading New York galleries.
Where: Rockefeller Center
When: Opens April 26
10. Sanya Kantarovsky: On Them
Luhring Augustine
An exhibition of dreamy new paintings from the Russian-born, New York–based artist gathers a cast of his signature peculiar characters, both real and imagined, in his first presentation with the gallery. To create his darkly humorous works, Kantarovsky draws on diverse art historical motifs, including El Greco, Bruno Schultz, and the Yokai woodcuts of Utagawa Kunioshi. Don’t miss his participation in the forthcoming Drawing Biennial 2019 at the Drawing Room in London.
Where: Luhring Augustine, 531 West 24th Street
When: Opening reception: Friday, April 26, 6–8 p.m.; on view through June 15
11. Dumbo Open Studios
This weekend, visitors can get insight into a variety of creative practices as a slew of residency programs across the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo will open their doors to the public. Guests can visit the studios of artists such as Adam Liam Rose, Kara Rooney, Cey Adams, and Noah Adams, and get a glimpse inside residency programs like Smack Mellon, Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, and Triangle Arts Association.
Where: Throughout Dumbo, Brooklyn
When: April 27 and 28, 1–6 p.m.
