this week in art

ARMORY ARTS WEEK: VOLTA NY

Richard Dupont, “Couple,” cast pigmented polyurethane, nylon, oil paint, and wood in plexiglass vitrine, 2009

NO GUTS, NO GLORY
7 West 34th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
March 4-7, $10-$15 (combination pass with the Armory Show $40)
www.ny.voltashow.com

Now in its third year, VOLTA focuses on solo exhibits dedicated to individual artists rather than concentrating on group shows organized by galleries. Among the more than eighty artists from around the world who have accepted their invitations to participate are Samuel Rousseau, Rebecca Chamberlain, Richard Dupont, Sandra Bermudez, Jered Sprecher, and Gigi Scaria, creating works that fit this year’s bold theme, No Guts, No Glory. VOLTA, the sister of the Armory Show, will also host several Open Forum discussions, including “In Conversation: Maria José Arjona and Jovana Stokic” on March 4 at 3:00, “Online, Offline, Flatline: Art Publishing Now” on March 5 at 3:00, “Ask Los Artistas” on March 6 at 5:00, and “Framing in the 21st Century” on March 7 at 3:00.

ARMORY ARTS WEEK: PooL ART FAIR

The public is invited to join Cat Del Buono, Antonia Wright, and Ruben Millares in blowing up balloons in the Gershwin Hotel lobby on March 5 at 8:00 as part of the PooL art fair

Gershwin Hotel
7 East 27th St. between Fifth & Madison Aves.
March 5-7, suggested donation $20
www.poolartfair.com

Like Verge, PooL is set in a hotel, the Gershwin on East 27th St. But unlike all the other fairs during Armory Arts Week, PooL shows work by artists who are currently not represented by galleries, thus making it more independent than, for example, this week’s Independent art show in Chelsea. We’re curious about the Curiosity Room (room 1043), where such artists as Rachael Gorchov, Tyrome Tripoli, Lynda White, and others have put together a collective solo exhibition. We also can’t wait to see Alejandro Mendoza’s “Giants in the City,” consisting of giant playful sculptures placed in front of the hotel (as long as the display is approved by the Department of Transportation). Other special events include live painting by Debra Drexler (March 5, 7:00), Brian Feldman’s “Under the Covers” cabaret performance in which he will sing and dance in a bed under covers to tunes requested via Facebook and Twitter (March 5, 8:00), the “Pressure/Release” interactive balloon-blowing extravaganza (March 5, 8:00), Michael Alan’s Draw-a-thon Theater (March 6, 6:00-11:00), and the House of Delicious’s Salacious Salon (March 6, suite 936).

ARMORY ARTS WEEK: VERGE

Irish-born New York City artist Nuala Clarke scored the caboose at Fountain and a shiny hotel room at Verge (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Dylan Hotel
52 East 41st St. between Madison & Fifth Aves.
March 5-7, $10 (March 4 VIP preview $20)
www.vergeartfair.com

Verge concentrates on emerging international artists, displaying cutting-edge work from approximately two dozen galleries from France, Japan, Canada, and the U.S.—mainly from Brooklyn—during Armory Arts Week. Verge, whose mission is “to establish boundaries of the extraordinary as a counter to the natural compulsion towards stagnation in the way art is evaluated and delivered to the public,” will be held in the Dylan Hotel, with installations in various rooms, lobbies, and other locations throughout the hotel, including site-specific pieces by Zachary Fabri, Sculpture Space, NURTUREart, and Artists Meeting Art Machine. In addition, the American Society of Media Photographers has teamed up with Doctors Without Borders to raise money for Haitian relief by selling prints for $100, curated by Elizabeth Avedon. And if you bring another twenty bucks, you can buy an object from the Artist Meeting Art Machine, which its creators describe as an anarchist automat. If the selection committee is any barometer, Verge should have some cool art on view; among the committee members are Richard Feigen, Carrie Springer, Dan Cameron, and Edouard Steinhauer.

ARMORY ARTS WEEK: RED DOT ART FAIR

Red Dot will take place at Skyline NYC during Armory Arts Week

Skyline NYC
500 West 36th St. at Tenth Ave.
March 4-7, Day Pass $10, Week Pass $20
www.reddotfair.com

Named for the little red dot that accompanies displayed works of art that have been sold, the Red Dot Art Fair features nearly three dozen international exhibitors showing off their wares at Skyline NYC on West 36th St. Galleries from Brazil and Argentina join those from New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, California, and other states, right near four other concurrent fairs. In fact, there will be free shuttle bus service that will take fairgoers from Red Dot to the Armory Show and Pulse.

ARMORY ARTS WEEK: THE ART SHOW

artshow2010

Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Ave. at 67th St.
March 3-8, $20
www.artdealers.org/artshow

The Art Dealers of America have selected seventy galleries to take part in the twenty-second annual Art Show, benefiting the Henry Street Settlement. Among the participants are many New York City galleries, including such favorites as Tanya Bonakdar, Cheim & Read, DC Moore, Galerie St. Etienne, Tibor de Nagy, Luhring Augustine, PaceWildenstein, and Friedrich Petzel. We’re particularly looking forward to seeing works by William Kentridge at the Marian Goodman booth, Roxy Paine at James Cohan, Martin Kippenberger at David Nolan, Alighiero e Boetti at Sperone Westwater, street photography at Pace / MacGill, and a tribute to the late Nancy Spero at Galerie Lelong. The Art Show is one of thirteen art shows taking place during Armory Arts Week; keep watching this space for more info.

ARMORY ARTS WEEK: PULSE NEW YORK 2010

Laurina Paperina shares her views on the state of the art market at Pulse (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

330 West St. at West Houston St.
March 4-7, $20
www.pulse-art.com/newyork

The Pulse art fair, which is held annually in Miami and New York City, is regularly the best of the Armory Arts Week shows, concentrating on cool contemporary art from around the world, this year from approximately fifty galleries. Among this year’s site-specific installations, always a highlight of Pulse, are works by David Abir, Diane Tuft, Alexandre Arrechea, Agustina Woodgate, and Pulse standard-bearer Julian Lwin, who specializes in colorful walk-in environments. Pulse always includes a focus on video art and technology as well, with this year’s Pulse Play curated by El Museo del Barrio’s Deborah Cullen. And Pulse Performance consists of live music and dance, with the 2010 roster yet to be announced.

ARMORY ARTS WEEK: THE ARMORY SHOW

The Armory Show highlights Armory Arts Week, running March 4-7

THE ARMORY SHOW
Piers 92 & 94
Twelfth Ave. at 55th St.
March 4-7, $30 general admission, $40 Armory Show / VOLTA NY Pass, $60 run of show
www.thearmoryshow.com

The Armory Show, the anchor presentation of Armory Arts Week, is now in its twelfth year, featuring 267 galleries from 31 countries spread around Piers 92 (modern and historical art) and 94 (contemporary works by living artists) on the Far West Side. Focus:Berlin comprises nearly two dozen galleries from Berlin, while a half dozen exhibitors will represent the Not for Profit section. The Armory Show, along with its offspring, VOLTA NY, will host a series of Open Forum discussions with artists, curators, museum and gallery directors, art writers and editors, and others. Among the events we’re looking forward to is Philip-Lorca diCorcia signing copies of his latest books at David Zwirner’s booth on Saturday at 3:00. There will also be a slew of programs in conjunction with Armory Arts Week in general, with special exhibitions, lectures, discussions, discounted museum admission, and more beginning March 2 at such locations as Grant’s Tomb and Dia at the Hispanic Society of America and continuing with extended hours, open studios, opening-night parties, free brunches, tours, workshops, demonstrations, site-specific installations, film screenings, live performances, and more in SoHo on March 4, Long Island City on March 5, Chelsea and Brooklyn on March 6, and the Lower East Side on March 7.