October 10, 2024

Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 at The Met Fifth Avenue, October 13, 2024 – January 26, 2025

“This fall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present the first major exhibition in the United States focusing on early Sienese painting. Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 will examine an exceptional moment at the dawn of the Italian Renaissance and the pivotal role of Sienese artists—including Duccio, Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, and Simone Martini—in defining Western painting. In the decades leading up to the catastrophic onset of the plague around 1350, Siena was the site of phenomenal artistic innovation and activity. While Florence is often positioned as the center of the Renaissance, this presentation will offer a fresh perspective on the importance of Siena, from Duccio’s profound influence on a new generation of painters to the development of narrative altarpieces and the dissemination of artistic styles beyond Italy. The exhibition will be on view October 13, 2024, through January 26, 2025.” — The Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Installation views of Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350, on view October 13, 2024–January 26, 2025 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photos by Eileen Travell, Courtesy of The Met.

“Siena was an epicenter of artistic innovation and ambition in the 14th and 15th century. Its impact on the development of European art and on the development of painting cannot be emphasized enough,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “This monumental exhibition will bring together the most important group of early Sienese paintings ever assembled outside of Siena—offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore the influence of this extraordinary artistic center.” 

Stephan Wolohojian, John Pope-Hennessy Curator in Charge of European Paintings at The Met, said, “The distinctive artistic language of Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers, Simone Martini, and their contemporaries completely recast the course of European painting. Examining the bold work of these Sienese artists allows us to trace the germination of many of the key ideas that preoccupied artists working in Italy in the following centuries.”

Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 is curated by Stephan Wolohojian, John Pope-Hennessy Curator in Charge of European Paintings at The Met; Laura Llewellyn, Curator of Italian Paintings before 1500 at the National Gallery, London; and Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland; in collaboration with Joanna Cannon, Professor at the Courtauld Institute of Art.

Title image: Duccio di Buoninsegna, (Italian, active by 1278–died 1318 Siena). The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea. Tempera and gold on panel. Framed: central panel 24 3/16 x 15 3/8 in. (61.5 x 39 cm); left wing 17 11/16 x 7 1/16 in. (45 x 18 cm); right wing 17 11/16 x 8 1/16 in. (45 x 20.5 cm). National Gallery, London.

October 2, 2024

Dark Matter at Mercer Labs, Museum of Art and Technology, October 4 – 30, 2024

Mercer Labs, Museum of Art and Technology, located in Lower Manhattan at 21 Dey St., is thrilled to announce a new exhibition Dark Matter – Nightmare Before Midnight, conceptualized, directed and produced by Roy Nachum. Running from October 4 – 30, 2024, Dark Matter invites visitors to explore the depths and darkness of the human psyche and paranormal expression. The multi-sensory, interactive exhibition of 15 installations will be accessible exclusively in the evening, from 8 PM to 12 AM.

“Dark Matter examines the role of darkness in art history. Revealing how the subconscious uncertainty and the unknown has shaped artistic movements and expressed cultural anxieties across time,” says Nachum. “The exhibition is a mirror to our fears and fascinations with the unknown.”

Dark Matter – Nightmare Before Midnight: “The Map Room”
Dark Matter – Nightmare Before Midnight: “The Map Room”
Dark Matter – Nightmare Before Midnight: “The Map Room”
Dark Matter – Nightmare Before Midnight: “The Map Room”
Dark Matter – Nightmare Before Midnight: “4DSOUND”

Nachum is an experimental artist known for his comprehensive and multi-disciplinary artistic practice that spans across various mediums, including painting, sculpture, architecture, installation and technology. Nachum is a bridge builder, breaking down barriers and uniting people through art.

Images courtesy Mercer Labs.

September 30, 2024

Ray Smith: Nepantla at Ethan Cohen Gallery, through November 7, 2024

“Ethan Cohen Gallery presents Ray Smith: Nepantla, the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. At a juncture of polarizing identity politics, Smith’s exhibition is particularly poignant not only in its monumentality and virtuosity but also in the sensitivity he brings to each subject. Smith’s works are timely and highly personal yet, Smith’s paintings address concepts that transcend identity and resonate to the very core of the human condition. Simultaneously Smith’s approach to painting subverts the norms of American art history.

Organized less as a conventional gallery presentation and more in line with an institutional approach, the exhibition’s unique tenor is further compounded by the raw quality of Ethan Cohen’s cavernous new Chelsea gallery. The works on view are not limited to a current body of work, rather the exhibition was conceived around one of Smith’s most seminal paintings Guernimex III (La Olympiada, 1989-1990), which is set in dialog with Smith’s most recent monumental sculptures Lagrimas de Espuma/Foam Tears, 2014 – 2024 and Cocoon 2014 – 2024. The extent of the works included encompass five decades of paintings and sculptures and draw on loans from private collections with the aim of highlighting the breadth of Smith’s oeuvre while focusing on the specific concept of Nepantla.” — Ethan Cohen Gallery

The term was first used by the indigenous people of central Mexico, the Nahaus, in the Florentine Codex, which preserves the knowledge of the ilamatlācah or “wise old women”–

“Tlachichiquilco in tihuih in tinemih tlālticpac: nipa centlami, nipa centlami. In tlā nipa xiyāuh in tlā noceh nipa xiyāuh ōmpa tonhuetziz: zan tlanepantlah in huīlōhua in nemōhua.”

“We travel along a mountain ridge while we live on earth, an abyss yawning on either side. If you stray too far one way or the other, you will fall away. Only by keeping to the middle way does one walk on and live.”

Installation views of Ray Smith: Nepantla at Ethan Cohen Gallery, September 19 – November 7, 2024. Photos by Yao Zu Lu. Courtesy of Ray Smith Studio and Ethan Cohen Gallery.

September 27, 2024

What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine at Norman Rockwell Museum, through October 27, 2024

Norman Rockwell Museum presents a landmark exhibition exploring the art, satire, and cultural impact of MAD Magazine, one of the longest-running humor publications in America. A counter-cultural touchstone and a venue for some of the nation’s best satirical art and writing, MAD rapidly evolved from a comic book series into a smash-hit magazine that spoke truth to power for seven decades. What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine presents a selection of 150 iconic original illustrations and cartoons from MAD’s longtime regular contributors, dubbed the ‘Usual Gang of Idiots,’ as well as next-generation visual satirists who found a home within the magazine’s zany zeitgeist.

“MAD was a groundbreaking magazine that influenced generations of readers and set the bar, and the tone, for contemporary humor and satire. We are delighted to present original selections from the magazine’s brilliant, irreverent artwork that captured and lampooned nearly all aspects of American life, and we are grateful to the collectors and artists who have made originals available for the exciting installation,” said Norman Rockwell Museum Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett.

“MAD was much more than a magazine to my generation. It represented a portal to adulthood,” reflected exhibition co-curator Steve Brodner, widely considered among today’s foremost satirical illustrators and caricaturists. “MAD was a heat-seeking missile designed to blow open the hypocritical core of most things. In so doing, it engendered in readers an ability to come closer to what might today be called critical thinking.” Brodner continued, “This exhibition distills that time in print when MAD stood alone in publishing: smart, snappy, current, and bravely idiotic. Its mission connected with us every issue. MAD gradually changed the world, one kid at a time.”

Richard Williams. Alfred E. Neuman and Norman Rockwell, 2002. Cover illustration for Mad Art: A Visual Celebration of MAD Magazine and the Idiots Who Create It (Watson Guptill, 2002). Oil on canvas
James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Sam Viviano. Alfred E. Neuman for President, 2008. Cover illustration for MAD No. 495, November 2008. Digital. Design Director: Ryan Flanders. MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Kelly Freas (1922-2005). Alfred E. Neuman as Scarecrow, 1958. Cover illustration for MAD #43 (EC, 1958). Acrylic on board. James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Kelly Freas (1922-2005). Quid, Me Vexari? (What, Me Worry?), 1959. Cover illustration for MAD #51 (EC, 1959). Ink and gouache on illustration board. James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Bill Elder (as “Eldder” in tribute to Charles Addams) (1921-2008). It’s so funny the way Poppa’s eyes bug out because he doesn’t have the Sanofranized label, 1955. Illustration for MAD #26 (EC, 1955)
Ink and ink wash on paper. James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Norman Mingo (1896-1980). Jack in the Box, 1967. Cover illustration for MAD #113, (EC, 1967). Opaque watercolor over graphite. James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC
Don Martin (1931-2000). Pay Toll Fifty Feet, 1980. Back cover illustration for MAD #213, (EC, 1980). India and colored inks on Bristol board. James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com
. MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC

“During recent eras in American society, MAD Magazine was a crucial venue for cultural commentary and norm-busting humor delivered through predominantly visual media. Its popularity, controversial nature, and overall impact together affirm the profound potency of illustration and visual communication,” said Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt.

Norton Moffatt continued, “Norman Rockwell Museum is pleased to present this exhibition in the spirit of our mission to present, inform, and inspire new conversations about the role and relevance of illustration art in society and culture. As we do this, we are keenly aware that MAD Magazine raised issues—often presciently—that continue to drive contemporary debates and struggles over power, privilege, social justice, and the many social divisions that remain to be worked through.”

The exhibition is co-curated by acclaimed illustrator and art journalist Steve Brodner and Norman Rockwell Museum Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, in collaboration with an eleven-member advisory group led by former MAD art director Sam Viviano. The advisory group consists of MAD contributors and other leading illustrators, humorists, writers, and scholars.

Images courtesy Norman Rockwell Museum.

September 25, 2024

Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala at the Asia Society Museum, September 17, 2024 – January 5, 2025

“Asia Society Museum presents Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala, the first major exhibition of Aboriginal Australian bark paintings to tour the United States. On view from September 17, 2024, through January 5, 2025, the exhibition comprises more than 70 modern and contemporary masterpieces from the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia and other major museums and private collections in the United States and Australia, including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory, and the University of Melbourne.

Conceived, developed and curated by leaders of the Yolŋu people of northeastern Australia, Maḏayin places Indigenous voices at the forefront, reinforcing the important role of Indigenous artists in global contemporary art and curatorial practice.” — Asia Society

“The land has everything it needs. But it couldn’t speak. It couldn’t express itself. Tell its identity. And so it grew a tongue. That is the Yolŋu. That is me. We are the tongue of the land. Grown by the land so it can sing who it is. We exist so we can paint the land,” Djambawa Marawili, Yolŋu leader and artist, explained.

Gunybi Ganambarr. Born 1973; Ŋaymil clan. Garraparra, 2018. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. 64 3/16 x 21 1/4 x 2 3/8 in. (163 x 54 x 6cm). Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. The 2017-2019 Kluge-Ruhe Maḏayin Commission. Museum purchase with funds provided by Lilla and Chris Ohrstrom.
Djambawa Marawili. Born 1953; Maḏarrpa clan. Americalili Marrtji (Journey to America), 2019. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. H. 106 5/16 x W. 39 3/8 in. (270 x 100 cm). Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. The 2017-2019 Kluge-Ruhe Maḏayin Commission. Purchased with funds provided by Geoffrey Hassall OAM and Virginia Milson.
Narritjin Maymuru. About 1916–1981; Maŋgalili clan. Yiŋapuŋapu (Sand Sculpture for Yirritja Mortuary Ceremonies). Before 1972. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. H. 38 3/8 x W. 21 in. (97.5 x 53.3 cm). Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. Edward L. Ruhe Collection. Gift of John W. Kluge.
Dhambit Munuŋgurr. Born 1968; Gupa-Djapu’ clan. Bänhdharra (Ocean), 2019. Natural and synthetic pigments on eucalyptus bark. H. 78 11/32 x W. 42 17/32 in. (199 x 108 cm). Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. The 2017-2019 Kluge-Ruhe Maḏayin Commission. Purchase with funds provided by Roslyn Oxley and Tony Oxley.
Wilson Manydjarri Ganambarr. Born about 1945; Ḏäṯiwuy clan. Djambarrpuyŋu Mäna (Shark of the Djambarrpuyŋu Clan). 1996. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. H. 76 x W. 22 3/4 in. (193 x 57.8 cm). Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. Gift of John W. Kluge, 1997.
N. Marawili. About 1939–2023; Maḏarrpa clan. Baratjala, 2018. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. H. 63 25/32 x W. 44 1/2 in. (162 x 113 cm). Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. The 2017-2019 Kluge-Ruhe Maḏayin Commission. Museum purchase.
Woŋgu Munuŋgurr, Mäma Munuŋgurr, Mawunbuy Munuŋgurr, Natjiyalma Munuŋgurr. Gupa-Djapu’ clan. Djapu’ Miny’tji (Djapu’ Clan Design), 1942. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. H. 74 1/2 x W. 41 7/16 in. (189.2 x 105.3 cm). University of Melbourne. Donald Thomson Collection.
Woŋgu Munuŋgurr. ca. 1880–1959; Gupa-Djapu’ clan. Maḏayin Miny’tji (Sacred Miny’tji), 1935, Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. H. 56 5/8 x W. 23 7/8 in. (143.8 x 60.6 cm). Donald Thomson Collection, The University of Melbourne.

Maḏayin is one of the first exhibitions of Aboriginal Australian art in New York City since Asia Society’s seminal 1988 exhibition Dreamings: The Art of Aboriginal Australia and subsequent exhibition The Native Born: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Ramingining in 2003–2004. “The Dreamings exhibition marked a major turning point in the international reception of Aboriginal art as fine art and has been credited with inspiring John W. Kluge to begin building his collection, leading to the creation of the Kluge-Ruhe Collection,” says Yasufumi Nakamori, Director of Asia Society Museum and Vice President for Arts and Culture. “It is therefore especially fitting for Asia Society to host Maḏayin, one of the largest and most important exhibitions of Aboriginal Australian art mounted in the Western Hemisphere in over 30 years.”

Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala was organized by the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia in partnership with the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre in Australia.

Title image: Detail of Narritjin Maymuru. About 1916–1981; Maŋgalili clan. Yiŋapuŋapu (Sand Sculpture for Yirritja Mortuary Ceremonies). Before 1972. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. H. 38 3/8 x W. 21 in. (97.5 x 53.3 cm). Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. Edward L. Ruhe Collection. Gift of John W. Kluge.

September 24, 2024

Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet at The Met Fifth Avenue, through January 12, 2025 

“This exhibition takes visitors on an unprecedented exploration of sublime historical Himalayan Buddhist devotional art, deepening understandings and appreciation of how and why these works were made,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “And at the center of the galleries, Tenzing Rigdol’s powerfully immersive and compellingly relevant mandalic installation draws on the foundation of the rich historical material to create a space for inspired contemplation.”

“The study of the Himalayas, especially Tibet, has advanced tremendously over the last 30 years,” said Kurt Behrendt, Associate Curator of South Asian Art at The Met. “While many Himalayan books and exhibitions have focused on technical aspects of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition’s complexity, few have succeeded in demystifying these sublime artworks to make the key ideas broadly accessible. This show aims to explore how images were employed in the Himalayan context to present the great Tibetan tradition meaningfully and coherently. The juxtaposition of a contemporary mandala as an installation should resonate with today’s viewers in a way that helps to make the larger ideas in the show relevant.”

Installation views of Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet, on view September 19, 2024–January 12, 2025 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photos by Anna-Marie Kellen, courtesy of The Met.

“I’m trying to explore the quintessential tantric idea of universality and oneness and how intricately interconnected we all are,” said contemporary Tibetan artist Tenzing Rigdol. “It is said that when the Buddha reached enlightenment, he looked at a leaf and on that leaf he saw stars, he saw rain, he saw soil, he saw air, and, in essence, he saw interdependency.”

Tenzing Rigdol (b. Kathmandu, 1982). Installation view of Biography of a Thought. Nepal. 2022–24. Acrylic on stretched canvas and woven carpet. Collection of the artist. Image © Tenzing Rigdol.

Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet is curated by Kurt Behrendt, Associate Curator of South Asian Art at The Met.

Title image: Manjuvajra Mandala. Tibet late 12th century. Distemper and gold on cotton. 40 × 30 in. (101.6 × 76.2 cm). The Kronos Collections. 

Images courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

September 20, 2024

Edges of Ailey at Whitney Museum of American Art, September 25, 2024 – February 9, 2025

“Edges of Ailey, opening at the Whitney Museum of American Art on September 25, is the first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate the life, dances, influences, adjacencies, and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey (b. 1931, Rogers, TX; d. 1989, New York, NY). This dynamic showcase brings together visual art, live performance, music, a range of archival materials, and a multi-screen video installation drawn from recordings of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) repertory to explore the full range of Ailey’s personal and creative life. Presented in three parts, Edges of Ailey consists of an immersive exhibition in the Museum’s 18,000 square-foot fifth-floor galleries, an ambitious suite of performances in the Museum’s third-floor Theater, and an accompanying scholarly catalogue.” — Whitney Museum of American Art

“Edges of Ailey is one of—if not the—most ambitious and complex exhibitions undertaken in the Whitney’s history,” said Scott Rothkopf, the Alice Pratt Brown Director of the Whitney. “Now is Ailey’s time and our time as an art museum to recognize his immense creative force not simply as one of the 20th century’s greatest American choreographers, nor as its greatest Black choreographer, but as one of the greatest artists working in any medium anywhere in the world. This exhibition situates Ailey—and those he drew on and inspired—smack in the middle of the avant-garde, right where they belong. In so doing, it pressures and even redefines the trajectory of art history by making it contend with stories and forms it had once ignored. Ailey, quite simply, forged a capacious new mode for ‘expressing the Black experience,’ as he put it, and to share this legacy with our visitors is an honor.”

Installation view of Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025). Photograph by Audrey Wang.
Installation view of Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025). Lynette Yiadom Boakye, A Knave Made Manifest, 2024. Photograph by Audrey Wang.
Installation view of Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025). David Hammons, Untitled, 1992. Photograph by Audrey Wang.
Installation view of Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025). Edges of Ailey Video Surround, created by Josh Begley and Kya Lou with Adrienne Edwards. Music licensing, clearance, and research by Reality Club; archival production by Rebecca Kent; archival clearance assistance by Alessandra Bellizia, 2024. Photograph by Audrey Wang.
Installation view of Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025). Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Fly Trap, 2024. Photograph by Audrey Wang.
Installation view of Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025). From left to right: John Outterbridge, The Elder, Ethnic Heritage Series, 1979; Jennifer Packer, Not Yet Titled, 2024; Eldren Bailey, Dancers, 1960s; Richmond Barthé, African Dancer, 1933. Photograph by Audrey Wang.
Installation view of Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025). Mickalene Thomas, Katherine Dunham: Revelation, 2024. Photograph by Audrey Wang.

“Following six years of dreaming, planning, and researching, the extravaganza that is Edges of Ailey finally enters the world,” said Adrienne Edwards, Engell Speyer Family Senior Curator and Associate Director of Curatorial Programs. “Throughout this process, we have had the gift of Mr. Ailey’s guidance, available to us in his notebooks, interviews, dances, and by the way he did things, to which we have kept very close, and which has shaped every aspect of this show. Until now, there have been many exhibitions in art museums about dance but none about Ailey, a true icon and unquestionably deserving subject. Along the way, every time I told someone that I was working on this project, they would share their own Ailey experience. So many of us have a story about Ailey, the dance company. Such is the extent of his importance and reach. Now audiences will have the chance to know his story. It is no small task to hold someone’s legacy of this cultural magnitude in your hands. We have made something that aims to have the same imagination, sparkle, generosity, rigor, and daring as did he.”

Edges of Ailey is organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in collaboration with the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation. The exhibition is curated by Adrienne Edwards, Engell Speyer Family Senior Curator and Associate Director of Curatorial Programs, with Joshua Lubin-Levy, Curatorial Research Associate, and CJ Salapare, Curatorial Assistant.

Images courtesy Whitney Museum of American Art.

September 19, 2024

Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things at the Jewish Museum, September 13, 2024 – January 5, 2025 

“The Jewish Museum presents Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things, the first U.S. solo museum exhibition dedicated to the work of interdisciplinary artist Ilit Azoulay (Israeli, b. 1972; lives and works in Berlin), from September 13, 2024, through January 5, 2025. The exhibition features selections of Azoulay’s work from 2010 to the present, showcasing large scale digital photocollages of archival objects that explore how images and objects transmit knowledge, shape memory, and support or undermine historical narratives. The presentation includes a new work that responds to the collections and context of the Jewish Museum, as well as selections from the series Queendom (2022), first presented as part of Azoulay’s solo exhibition for the Israeli Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022.” — Jewish Museum

Installation view of Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things at the Jewish Museum, NY, September 13, 2024-January 5, 2025.
Photo by Kris Graves. Courtesy the Jewish Museum.
Ilit Azoulay, Shifting Degrees of Certainty (2014). Eighty-five inkjet prints, audio. Overall: 99 × 355 inches (251.5 × 901.7 cm). Fund for the Twenty-First Century, The Museum of Modern Art, NY. © Ilit Azoulay. Photo by Kris Graves.
Installation view of Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things at the Jewish Museum, NY, September 13, 2024-January 5, 2025.
Photo by Kris Graves. Courtesy the Jewish Museum.
Installation view of Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things at the Jewish Museum, NY, September 13, 2024-January 5, 2025.
Photo by Kris Graves. Courtesy the Jewish Museum.
Installation view of Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things at the Jewish Museum, NY, September 13, 2024-January 5, 2025.
Photo by Kris Graves. Courtesy the Jewish Museum.
Installation view of Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things at the Jewish Museum, NY, September 13, 2024-January 5, 2025.
Photo by Kris Graves. Courtesy the Jewish Museum.
Installation view of Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things at the Jewish Museum, NY, September 13, 2024-January 5, 2025.
Photo by Kris Graves. Courtesy the Jewish Museum.
Installation view of Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things at the Jewish Museum, NY, September 13, 2024-January 5, 2025.
Photo by Kris Graves. Courtesy the Jewish Museum.

“The mounting of Azoulay’s first solo exhibition in the U.S. builds on the Jewish Museum’s ongoing practice of exploring contemporary art in real time, providing a platform for each emerging generation of artists. Dating back to the 1960s, when the Museum hosted the first solo exhibitions of path-breaking artists like Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, the Museum has organized major solo exhibitions of such influential artists as Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Louise Nevelson, Man Ray, Ad Reinhardt, Martha Rosler, and Art Spiegelman.” — Jewish Museum

Ilit Azoulay: Mere Things is organized by Shira Backer, Leon Levy Associate Curator, The Jewish Museum.

September 17, 2024

Mexican Prints at the Vanguard at The Met Fifth Avenue, September 12, 2024–January 5, 2025

“Opening September 12, 2024, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mexican Prints at the Vanguard explores the rich tradition of printmaking in Mexico—from the 18th to the mid-20th century—through works drawn from the Museum’s collection. Among the early works presented are those by Mexico’s best-known printmaker, José Guadalupe Posada, whose depictions of skeletons engaged in different activities helped establish a global identity for Mexican art. Following the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), printmaking proved to be the ideal medium for artists wanting to address social and political concerns and voice resistance to the rise of fascism around the world. Artists also turned to printmaking to reproduce Mexican murals from the 1920s and to create exhibition posters, prints for the popular press, and portfolios celebrating Mexican dress and customs. 

Featuring over 130 works, including woodcuts, lithographs, and screen prints, by artists such as Posada, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, Elizabeth Catlett, and Leopoldo Méndez, the exhibition explores how prints were central to artistic identity and practice in Mexico and highlights their effectiveness in addressing social and political issues, a role of the graphic arts that continues today. The bulk of The Met’s expansive collection came through the French-born artist Jean Charlot, whose association with the Museum began in the late 1920s. Charlot donated many of his own prints and works by other artists to The Met, and in the mid-1940s acted on behalf of the Museum to acquire prints in Mexico.” — The Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886–1957). Emiliano Zapata, 1932. Printed by George C. Miller (American, 1894–1965).
Published by the Weyhe Gallery, New York. Lithograph.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1933 (33.26.7) © 2024 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
José Clemente Orozco (Mexican, 1883–1949) Rear Guard: women carrying rifles and children, 1929. Printed by George C. Miller (American, 1894– 1965). Published by Weyhe Gallery, New York. Lithograph. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1929 (29.63.4) © 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico City
José Guadalupe Posada (Mexican, 1852–1913).
Artist: Manuel Manilla (Mexican, 1830–1895).
Publisherd by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo (Mexican 1850–1917). In proof of true love, ca. 1890–1896. Sheet: 15 3/4 × 11 13/16 in.
(40 × 30 cm). Type-metal engraving, letterpress.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Elisha Whittelsey
Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1946 (46.46.311)
Attributed to Alfredo Zalce (Mexican, 1908–2003).
The expropriation of foreign oil interests, 1938.
Printed by Cooperativa de Artes Gráficas, Mexico City. Lithograph of linocut. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1946 (46.46.491)© 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico City
Julio Ruelas (Mexican, 1870–1907). The Critic, ca. 1905–07. Etching.
Sheet: 11 7/16 × 8 11/16 in. (29 × 22 cm).
Plate: 9 1/8 × 6 3/4 in. (23.2 × 17.1 cm).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1946 (46.46.597)
Unidentified Mexican artist. Exhibition of works by José Guadalupe Posada at the Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City, 1943.
Printed by Talleres Gráficos de la Nación, Mexico, D.F. Lithograph.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Walter
Pach, 1944 (44.88)

“This remarkable exhibition evokes the continued resonance of the graphic arts in Mexico and illuminates treasures of The Met collection— many of which have never been exhibited before,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “Reflecting a vibrant tradition that is deeply imbued with political and social history, these works exemplify the extraordinary power of print as a medium and the importance of creative expression as response to specific cultural moments.”

Mark McDonald, Curator, Department of Drawings and Prints at The Met, said, “As a long-preferred medium for artists to challenge and support social and political issues, printmaking provides a rich visual record of Mexican history. This exhibition activates The Met’s unique ability to explore this visual history through its extensive holdings of Mexican prints in addition to highlighting a key moment in the Museum’s collecting activity.” 

Mexican Prints at the Vanguard is curated by Mark McDonald, Curator, Department of Drawings and Prints, The Met.   

Images courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

September 11, 2024

The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister at SVA Chelsea Gallery, August 29 – October 12, 2024

“This fall, School of Visual Arts (SVA) honors design giant Stefan Sagmeister with its 33rd Masters Series Award and Exhibition. A career retrospective that includes elements of Sagmeister’s past exhibitions, published books, design and film work, the exhibition will be on view Thursday, August 29 through Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the SVA Chelsea Gallery.

‘The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister’ incorporates multiple ‘eras’ of the artist’s long and storied career, with more than three decades of sketchbooks, many posters including ones commissioned by SVA as part of the College’s Subway Poster series, and design work dating back to the late 1980s. The show includes a miniature theatre where Sagmeister’s film will screen on a loop, interactive installations, and even special take-home posters for visitors to the gallery. Augmented Timeline by Interval.ooo, in collaboration with Stefan Sagmeister. Interval studio is led by Yannick Jacquet & Nicolas Boritch.”  — SVA

“It is a true pleasure to receive this award and to see decades of my work exhibited at my very favorite art school in New York City,” Sagmeister says. “Bringing together all of the different facets of my career for people to enjoy and interact with at SVA, where I had the privilege of teaching for many years, is especially meaningful. It’ll be a whole lot of fun.”

Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.
Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.
Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.
Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.
Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.
Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.
Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.
Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.
Installation view of “The Masters Series: Stefan Sagmeister”. Photo by Chromatics Studio NYC.

Images courtesy School of Visual Arts (SVA).

September 8, 2024

Table of Silence Project 9/11 at Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center, September 11, 2024, at 8:05 a.m. ET

“On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 8:05 a.m. ET, Buglisi Dance Theatre, in partnership with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, will present the 14th annual ‘Table of Silence Project 9/11,’ a profound public performance ritual and global call to action for peace. This free event will be held in person at Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center and livestreamed worldwide.

The ‘Table of Silence Project 9/11,’ conceived and choreographed by Jacqulyn Buglisi, Artistic Director of Buglisi Dance Theatre, first debuted in 2011 as a tribute to the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. This moving work has evolved into an annual tradition, resonating with audiences across the globe as it addresses contemporary issues such as social justice, environmental sustainability, and the universal longing for freedom from oppression.” — Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Table of Silence Project 9/11 choreography (c) Jacqulyn Buglisi, Buglisi Dance Theatre. Photo by Paul B. Goode
Tabl of Silence Project 9/11 (c) Jacqulyn Buglisi, Buglisi Dance Theatre. Photo by Terri Gold
Table of Silence Project 9/11 (c) Jacqulyn Buglisi, Buglisi Dance Theatre. Photo by Darial Sneed
Table of Silence Project 9/11 (c) Jacqulyn Buglisi, Buglisi Dance Theatre. Photo (c) Terri Gold
Table of Silence Project 9/11 (c) Jacqulyn Buglisi, Buglisi Dance Theatre. Photo by Paul B Goode 2020

“Scattering the seeds of hope, we recognize the need for healing, compassion, and the courage that it takes to make change.” – Artistic Director/Choreographer Jacqulyn Buglisi

“We are deeply honored to present this powerful work, offering New Yorkers and viewers worldwide a way to remember those we’ve lost,” said Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “Art plays a crucial role in fostering community, solace, and shared understanding as we move through the world. We’re proud to partner with Buglisi Dance Theatre on this project year after year.”

This year’s performance features a collaboration of esteemed artists, including Buglisi Dance Theatre Co-Founder/Bell Master/Principal Dancer Terese Capucilli, Visual Artist Rossella Vasta, Composer/Violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain, Principal Dancer Virginie Mécène, Composer/Percussionist Paula Jeanine Bennett, Conch/Flute Artist John Ragusa, Percussionists Jeremy Smith and Stahv Danker, Sopranos Carla Lopez-Speziale, Film/Livestream Producer Nel Shelby of Nel Shelby Productions, and over 150 dancers for peace. Notable performers include Lloyd Knight, Blakeley White-McGuire, Leslie Andrea Williams, Lauren Jaeger, Jessica Sgambelluri, Jai Perez and Isabella Pagano.

Images courtesy Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

September 7, 2024

Gold from Dragon City: Masterpieces of Three Yan from Liaoning, 337– 436 at China Institute Gallery, September 5, 2024 – January 5, 2025

“Treasures from nearly 70 years of archeological excavations in China are revealed in a landmark exhibition at China Institute Gallery this fall. Gold from Dragon City: Masterpieces of Three Yan from Liaoning, 337–436 presents artworks and cultural objects on view for the first time in the United States from September 5, 2024 through January 5, 2025. The exhibition features sculptures, bronze mirrors, inkstones, imperial seals, equestrian objects, and ceramic vessels, as well as jewelry and ornaments, many made of gold. The unearthed archeological discoveries are from ‘Dragon City,’ now present-day Chaoyang in Liaoning Province. A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition.” — China Institute Gallery

“This extraordinary exhibition illustrates the remarkable achievements of the Three Yan civilization, which is now no longer lost to history. We have gained a deeper understanding of how ethnic integration and the cultural exchange of East and West inspired and enriched cultures along the Silk Road,” said Willow Weilan Hai. “Just as in today’s world, cultural exchange serves as the most important bridge to promoting mutual understanding and progress. Over my three decades of organizing exhibitions at China Institute Gallery, I have sought to present an exhibition that illustrates this crucial theme and am so pleased to present it now.”

Head of a foreigner. Tang Dynasty (618–907). Grey pottery. Excavated in 2003 from old city ruins of Chaoyang. Liaoning Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Offering Food and Libation. Original: Sixteen Kingdoms, Former Yan (337-70). Facsimile painted from tomb mural excavated at Yuantaizi, Chaoyang in 1982. Liaoning Provincial Museum.
Vessel in the shape of a tiger. Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Yan (407-36). Bronze; H. 23.1, L.38.5, Weight 6.3 kg. Excavated in 1965 from the tomb of Feng Sufu (d. 415), Xiguanyingzi, Beipiao. Liaoning Provincial Museum.
Hat ornament. Sixteen Kingdoms, Former Yan (337–70). Gold; Base: H. 5 cm, W. 4.6–4.8 cm; Branches, W. 13.7 cm, L. 17.8 cm with remaining 35 leafs. Excavated in 1989 from tomb No. 2 of Tiancaogou, Xiyingzixiang, Chaoyang. Liaoning Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Ring inlaid with green and blue stones. Western Jin (266-317). Gold. Excavated in 1957 from tomb No. 2 at Fangshencun, Xusihuayingzixiang, Beipiao. Liaoning Provincial Museum.
Seal of Duke of Fanyang. Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Yan (407-36). Gold; H.1.9 cm,
W. 2.35cm, L. 2.27cm, Weight 100g. Excavated in 1965 from the tomb of Feng Sufu (d. 415), Xiguanyingzi, Beipiao. Liaoning Provincial Museum.

The exhibition is jointly organized by China Institute Gallery and the Liaoning Provincial Museum. Willow Weilan Hai, Senior Vice President of China Institute in America and Director and Chief Curator of China Institute Gallery, directed and executed the exhibition. It was curated by Dr. Liu Ning, Deputy Director of Liaoning Provincial Museum, with assistance from the Liaoning Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Chaoyang County Museum.

Images courtesy China Institute Gallery.