New York
February 1, 2023

Your Concise New York Art Guide for February 2023

Say what you will about February, but it’s the one month of the year that knows how to keep it short and sweet. Nonetheless, there’s much to see in New York during these compact few weeks, including works by Ed Ruscha, Nina Katchadourian, Luis Camnitzer, Martha Edelheit, and a special group show about our relationship with mushrooms. Starting this month, we’re changing the format of this list, bringing you personal recommendations from editors and regular contributors on our team. Each will explain in their individual style why the shows they recommend are truly worth your time. 

— Hakim Bishara

See our full list of highlights this month.

FROM OUR CRITICS

The Single Detail That Changed My Mind About Alex Katz

A little detail in an artwork can reveal that sometimes what is right on the surface can change our understanding of the whole. | David Carrier

Alex Katz: Gathering
Oct. 21-Feb. 20, 2023
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side (guggenheim.org)

Seeing Ourselves in Greg Colson’s Quirky Pie Chart Paintings 

The artist’s droll paintings present the pie chart as a useful monitor of a group’s behavior, while also revealing it to be exclusionary and superficial. | John Yau 

Greg Colson: Snap Shot
Jan. 7–Jan. 28, 2023
National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, Gramercy Park (nationalartsclub.org)

AROUND THE CITY

An Afternoon in the Park With Shahzia Sikander’s Golden Monuments 

The artist’s three-part commission at Madison Square Park includes a mythical female figure atop the Manhattan Appellate Courthouse. | Rhea Nayyar

Diana Al-Hadid’s Nostalgic Tribute to Penn Station

Al-Hadid’s new mosaic features the famed clock that hung at the entrance of the original station until the building was demolished in the 1960s. | Taylor Michael​​​​​​​

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CLOSING SOON

Masked Vigilantes on Silent Motorbikes
Sept. 9–Feb. 12, 2023
Poster House, 119 West 23rd Street, Chelsea (posterhouse.org)

Posters, from corporate advertisements to local flyers, are one of our city’s most visible art forms, but our passing glances necessitate that they convey information quickly and clearly. This group exhibition has one common theme: Each artist (a list that includes figures ranging from David Wojnarowicz to KAWS) has reconfigured old posters, transforming the original messaging into social commentary.

Ed Ruscha: Parking Lots 
Jan. 5–Feb. 18, 2023
Yancey Richardson Gallery, 525 West 22nd Street, Chelsea (yanceyrichardson.com)

Ed Ruscha needs no introduction to serious art lovers, and his parking lot series is a good example of why. Taken from a helicopter, the artist was able to transform the monotony of parking lots into some wondrous forms that resemble the abstract artwork of the era. 

Odili Donald Odita: Burning Cross
Jan. 10–Feb. 18, 2023
Jack Shainman Gallery, 513 West 20th Street, Chelsea (jackshainman.com)

"Odita never uses the same color twice in a painting. This slows the viewer down, drawing attention to difference rather than similarity. I think this is one of the artist’s primary impulses: he wants to challenge our assumptions and push beyond our comfort zone, even as this viewer at least finds great pleasure in looking at these works. He wants to open up a space for reflection."

Read John Yau's full review.