This Week’s Must-See Art Events: Teach-ins, Yoni Eggs, Cemetery Secrets, and More

by Michael Anthony Farley on April 24, 2017 Events

Martha Wilson Trump

Martha Wilson

It’s a bit of a slow week for the art world, but that’s just fine by us. There are a handful of events we’re really looking forward to this week and those will be much better enjoyed without the stress of darting around to a dozen other openings. Those include Martha Wilson’s Activist History Teach-In at The 8th Floor on Wednesday night, Alex Ebstein’s solo show at Victori + Mo Friday night, and Sophie Calle at Green-Wood Cemetery on Saturday. Calle will be taking visitor’s confessions and entombing them. Never turn down an opportunity to check out Green-Wood, and certainly never an opportunity for consequence-free secret-telling. 

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Tue

Salon 94 Bowery

243 Bowery
New York, NY
11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.Website

Josep Grau-Garriga: Tapestries 1970 - 2011

This retrospective of the late, great Catalan artist Josep Grau-Garriga is an all-too-rare opportunity to see his experimental weavings in the flesh. Grau-Garriga pioneered numerous fiber arts techniques, drawing inspiration from the craft’s history as well as painting and politics. For fans of textiles, this is an absolute must-see.

Wed

The 8th Floor

17 W 17th St
New York, NY
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Website

Martha Wilson: Activist History Teach-in

Martha Wilson is a national treasure. Here, she’s throwing a teach-in with fellow artists/activists Ann Agee, Todd Ayoung, Alicia Grullón, Katherine Perk, Lise Solskolne, and Barbara Zucker—sharing decades of wisdom on art and political resistance. Wilson will also be performing her Donald Trump drag, and that’s a can’t-miss sight.

Thu

The Painting Center

547 West 27th Street
New York, NY
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Website

Al Peters: Just Painting and Small Drawings

Al Peters’ abstract works have a quiet, lyrical sensibility that can make them seem like loveletters in an alien language based on color. Forms might repeat, as in an alphabet, and compositions often suggest some sort of progressive “reading”. They’re the kind of works you can stare at for a long time, and that alone is an all-too-undervalued quality.

Kravets Wehby Gallery

521 W 21st St.
New York, NY
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Website

Allison Zuckerman: Act Natural

Allison Zuckerman’s drag-queen-cutout was a hit at SPRING/BREAK this year, so we can’t wait to see what a whole show of her strange figures will look like. Zuckerman collages and enlarges images from art history or the internet and uses them as the base for mixed-media paintings. The end result feels like a really weird party.

Fri

Luhring Augustine

531 West 24th Street
New York, NY
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Website

Lygia Clark

Luhring Augustine is presenting an exhibition of Brazilian modernist Lygia Clark’s early works. These include drawings and 2-D works, as well as her famous, interactive “Bicho” sculptures. Clark’s work is always so rewarding because she seemed to be inviting the audience to participate in some grand research project. There’s a sense she was always trying to solve some puzzle, and the viewer is along for the ride.

Victori + Mo

56 Bogart St.
Brooklyn, NY
6:00 p..m. - 9:00 p.m. Website

Alex Ebstein: Fad Bodies

What is a ‘Yoni Egg,’ you might ask? Well, it’s apparently a crystal egg that can put in your vagina to meditate (thanks, Google). These are some of the components in Alex Ebstein’s upcoming installation.

We love Ebstein’s work, which often involves paintings made from cut-up yoga mats and string. Here, she’s designing a whole new-agey environment based on the aesthetics of health fads. This should be a great show.

Sat

28 Liberty St, 24th floor
New York, NY
1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Website

LMCC Open Studios

The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council is throwing an open studio event with artists-in-residence at the LMCC’s highrise workspaces. I don’t recognize any of the names on that list, but it’s always cool to check out resources like the workspace program.

Manal Abu-Shaheen, Amber Atiya, Laurie Berg, Matthew Conradt, Oscar Rene Cornejo, Damien Davis, Nick Doyle, Tess Dworman, Ira Eduardovna, Devra Freelander, Wojciech Gilewicz, Reina Gossett, Sasha Wortzel, Stephanie Gray, Esteban Jefferson, Tennessee Jones, Gautam Kansara, Dana Katz, Amy Khoshbin, Su-Yee Lin, Christina Masciotti, Saretta Morgan, Courtney Puckett, Amy Ritter, Emmalea Russo, Purvi Shah, Elisabeth Smolarz, Carlos J Soto, Sarah Cameron Sunde, Xu Wang, Chris Watts, Caroline Woolard, Ezra Wube

Green-Wood Cemetery

500 25th Street
Brooklyn, NY
6:00 p.m. Website

Sophie Calle at Green-Wood Cemetery

Sophie Calle is great, and cemeteries are great. Now, thanks to Creative Time, the French conceptual artist is coming to Green-Wood cemetery for an interactive public artwork with a duration of 25 years.

Visitors are invited to submit secrets at an obelisk above a grave. When the grave fills up with secrets, Calle with cremate them for you. Spooky and cathartic!

Sun

MoMA

11 West 53rd Street
New York, NY
10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.Website

Louise Lawler: WHY PICTURES NOW

It’s surprising that WHY PICTURES NOW will be Louise Lawler’s first museum survey in the artist’s hometown. Lawler’s institutional-critique photography practice is so influential and compelling, and seeing an exhibition at this scale should be rewarding. Lawler’s photos of artworks in collectors’ homes, auction houses, and galleries will be blown-up for mural-sized prints scaled to the museum’s architecture.

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