May 15, 2023
Good morning. 🌤️ It wasn’t enough for what feels like a gazillion art fairs to open in New York in the span of a week: We also had to get a new Yayoi Kusama exhibition. Visitors wrapped around the block to see one of the artist’s “Infinity Rooms” and other installations at David Zwirner Gallery's Chelsea outpost on Thursday night. Our Staff Writer Elaine Velie, who braved the storm, observed that it’s probably one of the few instances in which a mega-gallery show draws a general public rather than just the exclusive coterie of nose-in-the-air collectors and curators.
A couple of subway stations down in Tribeca, our Senior Editor Hakim Bishara was improbably inspired by a painting of Kim Kardashian at Independent. And all the way uptown, contributor Daniel Larkin fell in love with weird figurations at the swanky TEFAF fair. Finally, speaking of weird, do you know the work of Argentinian artist and gay rights activist Marcelo Pombo? A show of works from the 1980s alongside new pieces proves that when it comes to art, daring and fearless goes much farther than pretty.
To close this very New York newsletter, here’s some local tea: Former clients of Lisa Schiff are suing the art advisor, accusing her of running a "Ponzi scheme” to fund her “lavish lifestyle." Hey, how else are we supposed to afford the art fair sandwiches?
— Valentina Di Liscia, News Editor
New Kusama NYC Show Draws Lines Down the Block
An exhibition in Chelsea features one of the artist’s "Infinity Rooms," which haven’t been shown in NYC since 2021. | Elaine Velie
IN THE NEWS
Artist Michelle Browder unveils a new mobile clinic bringing medical services to women in rural Alabama.
Three clients accuse New York art advisor Lisa Schiff of running a “Ponzi scheme” to fund her “lavish lifestyle” in a $2M lawsuit.
SPONSORED
Federico Herrero, On View at James Cohan’s 52 Walker Street Gallery
Federico Herrero uses an expansive concept of landscape to create a language of form and color grounded in the poetics of place. Herrero turns his gaze inwards to map a topography of memory that expresses his own intimate relationship with the world around him, harnessing the emotional weight of color.
AT THE FAIRS
What Kim Kardashian Taught Me About Art Fairs
At the Independent, the cool kids of the art world rhapsodized about celebrity culture and the environment. | Hakim Bishara
Getting Body Curious at New York’s TEFAF Art Fair
The less-than-idealized body is a mainstay of modern art. But whether or not it sells is another question. | Daniel Larkin
SPONSORED
Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival Celebrates 27th Edition
The Toronto festival includes public art by Genesis Báez, Seif Kousmate, and Hélène Amouzou visualizing intersections of land, migration, and imagination.
LATEST REVIEWS
Marcelo Pombo in the Age of Neoliberalism
A new exhibition presents new works by the Argentinian artist alongside drawings from his days as a gay rights activist in the 1980s. | Agustina Battezzati
Helen Cammock’s Love Letter to New Orleans
In a vividly illustrated artist's book, Cammock breaks through the fourth wall of the page to present the city as a composition of energies. | Melissa Pierson
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