This Week’s Must-See Art Events: You Won’t Die Trying to See it All

Hrag Vartanian curated this exhibition around the relationship between architecture and the act of seeing. Just based on the fact that Anila Quayyum Agha (you’ve probably seen her work Instagrammed 1000 times) is in the show, it’s worth a visit. She’s known for making wooden cubes with laser-cut mashrabiya-like patterns that cast lacy shadows on the wall—instantly transforming a white cube gallery into a dreamscape that wouldn’t look out of place in the Alhambra.

Artists: Anila Quayyum Agha, Kamrooz Aram, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, and Slavs and Tatars.

A staggeringly diverse collection of “Momento Mori” objects, from a mid-19th Century New Mexican “Penitente” figure to contemporary photography, that reminds us death is the only constant. Artists know we’re all going to die, and so do normal people. Just try to look at the flyer image without perceiving a trace of present-day ironic intent: it’s a series of naïve paintings of tombstones with words such as “ROLL”, “LOVE”, “SUMMER”, and “BENZ”. In reality, they’re anonymously authored sample paintings from the 1920s for a door-to-door funeral salesman to pitch different styles of headstones.

Artists: William Hawkins, George Widener, David Scott Evans, André Kertész, Joel-Peter Witkin, Scott Campbell, Gerald Slota, Herman Bridgets (and more).

This is an exhibition of work Genesis Breyer P-Orridge produced in Nepal during the fall. The first 1,000 visitors are invited to bring an object to exchange with the artist, resulting in an evolving installation in the gallery and one of P-Orridge’s iconic “Psychic Cross” necklaces for you. I feel like those 1,000 people are definitely going to get the cooler end of that stick. At any rate, it’s always interesting to see what Genesis Breyer P-Orridge is up to.

BHQFUBF (Bruce High Quality Foundation University Book Fair) is more than just artist books. At Friday night’s free opening party, expect “a very special piñata performance” from Eli Yeung, and a talk by Marisa Olson and exhibiting artist Andrew Ross. There’s also a dance party with music from D0UZE and something called “Amber: 3/11 Karaoke (No 311 Allowed Unless It’s Really Good)”. Words to live by.

Exhibitors: Nandi Loaf, Endless Editions, DnA, Packet Biweekly, Shireen Ahmed, Randon, Rosenbohm, Sarah Crowe, Ø.K. Fox & Friends, Ugly Duckling Presse, Sorry Archive, Alice Sparkly Kat’s Astrology for Artists, Lorelei Ramirez / Pile of Tears, Slow Youth, Blonde Art Books, Aidan Koch, Aaron Kuhn Persona Collective, Horses Think Press, Inpatient Press, EYELEVEL BQE, Wonder, Birds LLC, Yulan Grant, Open Projects

Day two of BHQF’s Book Fair! All of the above vendors, plus a full day of readings by some of the city’s best and brightest emerging artists and writers:

02:45 – L&M Present Alice Sparkly Kat’s Astrology for Artists

03:00 – Andrea Arrubla

03:15 – Sean J Patrick Carney

03:30 – Shireen Ahmed

03:45 – Sam Cooke

04:00 – Darcie Wilder

04:15 – Kalli Mathios

04:30 – Heather Johnson

04:45 – Conor Messinger

05:00 – Kenya Johnson-Freeman

05:15 – Lorelei Ramirez

05:30 – Nicole Reber

05:45 – RAFiA

06:00 – Andrea McGinty

06:15 – Ana Cecilia Alvarez

06:30 – Sonya Derman

06:45 – Rin Johnson

07:00 – Ariel Jackson

07:15 – Julio Torres

07:30 – Ana Fabrega

07:45 – Diana Sue Hamilton

Foxy Production is opening their new Chinatown location, and their inaugural show is curated to reflect the context. No, it’s not seafood market themed. Chatham Square is the intersection of Bowery, East Broadway, and 6 other streets. It was also the historical convergence of two of the giant elevated train lines that used to snake all over Manhattan (yes, really!). With this in mind, artists such as Travess Smalley and Petra Cortright whose work deals with contemporary networks or convergences will christen the new space.  

Michael Bell-Smith, Sascha Braunig, Ellen Cantor, Petra Cortright, Sara Magenheimer, and Travess Smalley