This Week’s Must-See Art Events: Resisting Christmas is Futile

The recent thawing in US-Cuba foreign relations makes this Korda in America survey of never-before-seen photography from his 1959 and 1960 United States visits alongside Fidel Castro timely. Known for taking that iconic photograph of Che Guevara that’s been emblazoned on everything from coffee mugs to tee shirts, Korda was the semi-official photographer of Castro for the first ten years of his Cuban rule, offering historical insight into a key political moment. Díaz is the president of Korda’s estate, and since his death in 2001, has led legal battles against companies using the Guevara image—now considered a blueprint for “Hope”-esque political strategists—a challenge, since Cuba didn’t recognize copyright until it joined the World Trade Organization in the 1980s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Come for the black and white historical photography, stay for the conversation on Cuban revolution myth-making.   

Daylight Savings Time (and Winter in general) really suck if you’re a New Yorker who’s fond of sunlight. Thankfully, Queens-based artist Magali Duzant is celebrating the Winter Solstice (the “real reason for the holiday season”) with an all-day live stream that broadcasts from around the world as the sun “sets”. Go catch some rays, drink some coffee, eat some snacks.

Here’s the schedule:

• Iran 8-9
• Sweden 10-11
• Englad 11-12
• Iceland 12:30 – 1:30
• Canada 1:30 – 2:30
• Canada 2:30 -3:30
• New York 3:30 – 4:30
• Costa Rica 4:30 – 5:30
• Colorado 5:30 – 6:30
• Vancouver 6:30 – 7:30
• Alaska 7:30 -8:30

Is isn’t enough to just buy artist-made holiday gifts—honestly, you really should consider getting those gifts artist-wrapped. The second edition of Wrapping Room will see Rosenberg and Benedetto—artists with a mutual interest in pornography and the soft-core—personally wrap your gifts, hopefully in paper that’s sourced from internet cumshots and 70s porno chic. It’ll be perfect for your red state family member!

Yes, there is still yet another art world holiday party you can crash. The arts non-profit has had a great year, with their RADIANT PRESENCE outdoor projections at the Guggenheim and MoMA during the annual Day Without Art, and the Party Out of Bounds fall show. January promises to be a busy month with programming supporting the Martin Wong Bronx survey, so stop by for the scoop and the last hoorah of holiday cheer.

It’s insane to think that up until his passing in April at the age of 106, Manoel de Oliviera was one of the few directors to have worked from the silent film era up until our digital age. Even though Memories and Confessions (Visita ou memórias e confissõe) was originally made in the early 1980s, the Portuguese director stipulated it wouldn’t be shown publicly until after his death. Screened as part of this year’s Cannes Classics programme, the film is expectedly an auto-biography “auto-elegy” — “it’s a film by me, about me,” says de Oliviera in a voice-over addressing the audience directly at the film’s beginning — about the director packing up his Porto home to settle debts, waxing nostalgic about his four decades in the house, sharing home movies, talking about his life. It’s a long goodbye worth watching.    

What a perfect event for the Lower East Side on the day before Christmas Eve. While the city’s Christians (and reluctant family members of Christians) are busy buying crap and wrapping it and fighting around the Christmas tree, come see this exhibition presented by Yiddish New York and curators Tine Kindermann, Deborah Ugoretz, and Yona Verwer.

Artists: Marcia Bricker Halperin, Sherry Davis, Rina Dweck, Joshua Edelglass, Lisa Ferber, Harriet Finck [Image above], David K.Friedman, Jaynie Gillman Crimmins, Camille Hoffman, Sandra Indig, Tine Kindermann, Ann Lipscombe, Elias Melad, Justine Neuberger, Ellen Deitell Newman, Francine Perlman, Anya Roz, Debbie Schore, Joel Silverstein, Abie Sussman, Daniel Toretsky, Deborah Ugoretz, David Wander, Joyce Ellen Weinstein, Kaethe Wenzel

Last day to catch this solo from the minimalist best known for his monochrome paintings. Expect a throwback to the monochrome (Eastern Moss) and calligraphy-inspired drawings (African Drawings). We promise total zen and soothing shades of terre verte.

Another closing Chelsea solo, this time from an emerging Korean artist. Since 2010, Lee has painted small plein air canvases capturing landscapes of the countrysides outside Seoul and Berlin. Some of those works are included, but worth checking are new works Lee created during her fall residency at Doosan, all of which are preoccupied with the ways nomadic, residency-hopping artists create temporary studio spaces amid the churn of gentrification and urban development. “A Painting For Sleep_ Grandma” is just a hung stretcher with a landscape on duvet, evoking anti-roll up migratory packing methods.       

Last month, we recommended whatever the hell this event is as a remedy to Thanksgiving weekend boredom. Similarly, this seems like a good excuse to get out of the house post-Christmas. From what we gather, this involves meeting up at a bar and drawing illustrations of stories told by performers. There will be free beer and crayons, and posters for the first 25 participants. The organizers describe it as a “Free Comedy Drawing Psychadelic [sic] fun fest.“

Hosted by Grant Lindahl and Erik Bergstrom.

Performers: Freddie G, Dan Perlman, Rob Cantrell, Ari Zenelli, Patrick Hastie, Patrick J Reilly