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Weekend arts planner: Hauser & Wirth shows, Afropunk, Roxy Music
By
Steve Smith
Published Sep 10, 2022
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By
Steve Smith
Published Sep 10, 2022
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If you're interested in seeing a substantial range of sophisticated and engaging contemporary art with maximum efficiency, you might consider spending a day with the Hauser & Wirth galleries. In the past few days they've opened four shows well worth seeing. Each features the work of a significant contemporary woman artist; taken together, they form quite a statement.
In Hauser & Wirth's Chelsea space at 542 West 22nd Street, three very different shows have just opened. The one likely to demand the most attention is DEMENTED WORDS, which highlights the familiar and popular text-based work of Jenny Holzer.
Zoe Leonard, "Al Rio / To the River" (detail), 2016-22
Courtesy the artist, Galerie Gisela Capitain, and Hauser & Wirth
There's also In 24 Days tha Sun’ll Set at 7pm, a gorgeous show of paintings by Christina Quarles — her first solo show in New York City with the gallery, in fact — and Al Rio / To the River, an especially timely exhibition of melancholy photographs Zoe Leonard took along the border separating the United States and Mexico
Lorna Simpson, "Neckline" (1989)
Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth
There's another show happening uptown, where three floors of the original Hauser & Wirth townhouse gallery at 32 East 69th Street are occupied now by a show surveying work made by Lorna Simpson. She's a Brooklyn-born photographer and media artist who makes collages juxtaposing images and text, asking timely and provocative questions about race, gender and history. Lorna Simpson: 1985 – 92 is an illuminating show, and also a very, very beautiful one.
The Lorna Simpson show is open through October 22, and the other shows are on through October 29. All galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm. hauserwirth.com
This weekend marks the return of Afropunk, which is happening for the first time since 2019. The festival starts at noon on Saturday, September 10th, in Commodore Barry Park, in Fort Greene. Saturday night's headliners are The Roots, the legendary Philadelphia hip hop crew, and Sunday's big attraction is Nigerian superstar Burna Boy — who in April became the first-ever African performer to sell out Madison Square Garden.
Afropunk was sparked by a 2003 documentary film that examined punk culture among Black communities... the first festival happened in Brooklyn in 2005. It's grown to massive proportions — there are festivals across the country and around the globe, and a collaboration with Lincoln Center coming up early next year. In addition to the big acts cited above, there's a full slate of major artists like Freddie Gibbs and Earl Sweatshirt, alongside buzzworthy acts like Tierra Whack and Pink Siifu. And beyond music, the festival celebrates culture, fashion, wellness, and social justice. It's a very big deal, and good to see it back in action. afropunk.com.
And, as a personal coda, I'm looking forward to seeing the iconic British art-rock band Roxy Music at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, September 12th. Bryan Ferry, Andy Mackey, Phil Manzanera and Paul Thompson are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a cadre of capable supporting players, and St. Vincent is opening. It's sure to be a grand affair, and tickets are still available. roxymusic.co.uk
Correction: In a previous version of this story, the name of Zoe Leonard's exhibition, Al río / To the River, was stated incorrectly.
Tagged
galleries
afropunk
Hauser & Wirth
madison square garden
concerts
art
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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