currents

Don't Miss Eliasson

PS 1 in Long Island City has put together a retrospective of the work of Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson called Take Your TIme. This artist is particularly interesting because he is so hard to pin down. Opens on April 20. (see details below)

In Katrina's Wake Info

The Blanton Museum has put together a great list of websites for Katrina-related projects for their exhibit In Katrina's Wake. See below.

Martin at MoMA

Puryear may prove to be a very exciting exhibition if one believes in the power of the object, uncluttered form. (Nov 4 - January 14)  MoMA claims, as a post-minimalist,  he explores "identity, culture and history."  I wonder...why does it have to be that complicated?

Early Visual Culture on Display at MoMA

Opening today--Panoramas of the Moving Image: Mechanical Slides and Dissolving Views from Nineteenth-Century Magic Lantern Shows--at MoMA. Go see early forms of projected "motion pictures"...mixed with some contemporary works.
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/exhibitions.php?id=5626&ref=calendar

The Shape of Space

The Guggenheim's The Shape of Space does not disappoint. In particular, the sculpture featured in the lobby (Alyson Shotz) made from Fresnel lenses plays tricks on the eyes. http://www.guggenheim.org/exhibitions/shapes/overview.html
It is only there until September 5th. The Pipilotti Rist installation is like a trip to IKEA filtered through a sleeping dream.

Dan Perjovschi at MoMA

In a rare moment of lightheartedness, MoMA curators chose the work of Romanian artist/cartoonist to fill the large wall of the atrium space, Projects 85. The small vignettes are timely and funny (with underlying cultural and political horror). Take a look at What Happened to US?  and the artist's website at: http://www.perjovschi.ro

21 Positions at the Austrian Institute

A small gallery in an amazing slice of a deconstructivist building in mid-town, the Austrian Cultural Institute presents 21 POSITIONS. The show is artists' interpretations of the 21c so far. Up until August 25th at 11 E. 52nd Street.

The Weight of Serra's Virtual Tour

The best thing about a Richard Serra piece is the haptic space that contains the tension of the weight of steel against our human fragilities. Or, you can skip that idea and take a virtual tour on MoMA's site.
http://moma.org/exhibitions/2007/serra/

Peruvian Tribes

The Gathering of the Tribes gallery will open the exhibit Deep Roots is an art exhibit by Peruvian artists on the influence of Pre-Columbian culture on contemporary art. May  17- June 28 , (opens tonight) 283 East Third Street NYC.

Design with Equality

The Cooper-Hewitt (the National Design Museum) has one of the best education programs for teachers in the city. On view until the end of June is the Design Triennial. What is equally if not more engaging is the outdoor exhibit Design for the Other 90%, a small sampling of designers who take on the issues of "access to food and water,energy, education,healthcare, revenue-generating activities, and affordable transportation."   In the 1980s (the Reagan years), my design experience was about who could snag the wealthiest clients...not particularly engaging. Now, it seems the climate has changed and green design and design for social justice has a solid place in US architecture, design and engineering schools. The picture is a ceramic colloidal silver water purifier on site in Cambodia. http://www.peoplesdesignaward.org/design_for_the_other_90/about/