Week of January 15
Theatrical church and other happenings
It’s another big week for art shows: Hauser & Wirth and Gagosian open new shows this week with modern miracles Cindy Sherman and Mary Weatherford, respectively, and LA’s Anat Ebgi opens their new space in Tribeca with a group show on Friday.
And it’s a giant week for our #1 favorite hobby: listening to interesting people talk inside cool places. Highlights here are book launches (Kyle Chayka chats Filterworld with Pulitzer Prize-winning cool person Hua Hsu) and art talks (Dean Kissick talks with Roberta Smith for the final installment of Seaport Talks).
Read on for the best of the best this week, with a bonus meditation on theatrical church, which we believe can save us all.
This week’s Most Likely to Succeed events
🆓 = costs $0, 🎨 = art, 🎼 = music, 🎬 = film, 📚= books, 🌳 = nature, 🎭 = performance, 🧠 = extra smart people, 🍸 = drinks available, 🦩 = party/friendly vibe
🔑 Click the venue link under each listing for full event details.
Monday, January 15
All-day screening of King in the Wilderness presented by the Brooklyn Rail
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Brooklyn Rail is offering 24-hour access to the 2018 film, King in the Wilderness, which “chronicles the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.” To get access, sign up with the link below, and you’ll get instructions to access the film. You can also watch this anytime on HBO, where it’s streaming.
Brooklyn Rail, virtual
Mon all day 🆓 🎬
Under the Radar Fest presents Dynasty Handbag’s Titanic Depression
Titanic Depression was an absolute hit at Pioneer Works last summer. Dynasty Handbag, the show’s creator, is bringing it to New York Live Arts for another run. Tickets are sold out, but you can still get on the waitlist by calling the box office then hoping a theatergoer dies: details here.
New York Live Arts, Chelsea
Mon at 7:30p 🎭(also Thurs-Sat)
Drawing from a Distance at the Noguchi Museum
The Noguchi Museum hosts Drawing from a Distance tonight over zoom. Drawings are inspired by Distance Noguchi, a series of 22-films ranging from one to eleven hours long that capture different scenes of the museum as the light changes throughout the day. In this class, you’ll learn some basic drawing techniques and then “settle into a flow while creating a long sketch.” BYO pencil, eraser, and paper.
Noguchi Museum, virtual
Mon from 7:30-9p 🆓 🎨
Tuesday, January 16
Panel discussion on Friends & Lovers at FLAG Foundation
FLAG, the great nonprofit arts space in Chelsea, offers up this panel discussion as part of the current exhibition, Friends & Lovers, running through January 20. This chat features “artists Marilyn Minter, Aliza Nisenbaum, Billy Sullivan, and D'Angelo Lovell Williams, moderated by FLAG founder Glenn Fuhrman.”
FLAG Foundation, Chelsea
Tues from 6-8p 🆓 (but RSVP) 🎨
Cynthia Zarin talks Inverno at McNally Jackson
Inverno is a moody novel that’s getting great reviews, although we’re going mad trying to verify if the cover is an official Alex Katz painting or merely an imitator. Either way, the author will chat with National Book Award-winning and New Yorker writer Judith Thurman about the new book. RSVP to get a ticket for $5 and, as always at McNally Jackson, you can use that money toward any purchase at the store (including the bar).
McNally Jackson, South Street Seaport
Tues at 6:30p 📚 🍸
Wednesday, January 17
Jennifer Guidi’s Rituals opens at Gagosian on 24th
Catch a new series of paintings that explore “the sublime beauty of mountainscapes and the color spectrum.” If that sounds soothing, it’s by design; Guidi states that “[a]s an artist, it’s my job to be in service of a viewer, in terms of creating a sense of calm and a sense of joy. I want to add beauty to the world and fight the chaos.” We support it.
Gagosian on 24th, Chelsea
Wed from 10a-6p 🆓 🎨
Kyle Chayka presents Filterworld with HUA HSU (!) at McNally Jackson
We’ve been psyched for Chayka’s latest book, Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture. The book is finally here, and he’ll talk about it tonight with Stay True Pulitzer Prize-winner, Hua Hsu. (If you haven’t read Stay True twice, what is wrong with you!) The show is sold out, but drop a line to events@mcnallyjackson.com to get on the waitlist. And if you already have tickets, come say hi! We’ll be in the front row taking notes.
McNally Jackson, South Street Seaport
Wed at 7p 📚 🍸
The legendary Taylor Mac in conversation with John Berendt on Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Berendt has adapted his bestselling book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, into a musical with theater and drag legend, Taylor Mac. Mac, best known for his 24-Decade History of Popular Music (HBO made a great doc about it last year), is the most “duh” winner of the MacArthur Genius Grant. Tonight, he’ll talk with Berendt about the process of adopting a true crime masterpiece into a musical.
Barnes & Noble, Upper West Side
Wed at 7p 🆓 📚
Prototype Fest presents Terce: A Practical Breviary at Irondale
Terce tops this week’s Approval Matrix’s Highbrow/Brilliant spot. Go see it! More on Terce in the special report below on Theatrical Church.
Irondale, Fort Greene
Wed at 7p 🎭 🎼 🍸 (also Thurs and Fri at 7p, and Sat at 9a and 3p)
Thursday, January 18
Mary Weatherford’s Sea and Space opens at Gagosian
Weatherford is one of our favorite Gagosian artists because her work is so delicious to stare at. She’s best known for pieces that merge painting with neon lights, but her new show at Gagosian’s UES location features new light-free paintings, dominated by the color green, that reference the very good outdoors plus outer space. And the new works on paper were produced during her summer 2023 residency at the Elaine de Kooning House in East Hampton. (That place must have weird vibes.)
Gagosian on Madison Ave, Upper East Side
Thurs from 10a-6p 🆓 🎨
Cindy Sherman opens at Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth is not messing around with their new Soho location. After a banger show from Barbara Chase-Riboud, the next show features a new body of collaged photos from Cindy Sherman that are some of her weirdest pieces yet. You can’t have a bad time looking at her work, so definitely see this one.
Hauser & Wirth Wooster St, Soho
Thurs from 10a-6p 🆓 🎨
Artist reception for David Rhodes’ Aletheia at High Noon Gallery
David Rhodes’ paintings are simple enough, but the press release for this show (his first with High Noon) dives right into Heidegger, so you do the math and put in as much fast or slow thinking as you see fit for these gorgeous black-and-white works.
High Noon Gallery, Lower East Side
Thurs from 4-7p 🆓 🎨
An Evening with the House of Transcendence
From New Museum: “Organized in collaboration with artist Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), this evening will feature performances by leaders and members of the House of Transcendence, a collective of Black and Brown trans and gender non-conforming performers and activists co-founded by artist Linda La.”
New Museum, Bowery
Thurs from 6:30-8p 🎨🦩
e-flux Film Award Ceremony: Inaugural Edition
Last year, e-flux—the publishing platform and archive, artist project, curatorial platform, and enterprise founded in 1998—launched their first ever Film Awards. Learn more about the films and winners here. Tonight, they’ll host a little ceremony for the winners and screen a few selections. You can still get general admission tickets for just $8 here.
E-flux, Clinton Hill
Thurs at 7p 🎬
Seaport Talks 12: Dean Kissick with Roberta Smith
In the final installment of Seaport Talks, clever person Dean Kissick talks with NYT art critic Roberta Smith. This series is organized by the Péric Collection with “the aim of bringing lively in-person discourse back to the public.” Talks aren’t recorded or broadcast, so get there IRL and say hi to us—we’ll be in there.
TJ Byrnes, South Street Seaport
Thurs at 7p 🆓 🎨 🍸🦩
NY Landmarks: A Theory of Active Preservation talk at the National Arts Club
The stupidly beautiful National Arts Club is opening its doors to the public for a free talk from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission’s commissioner, Michael Goldblum. Tonight, he’ll talk about “how the Commission views its mission and function in the modern age.” A ticket doesn’t guarantee entry, so arrive early and give yourself a tour of place before the event kicks off at 7:30.
National Arts Club, Gramercy Park
Thurs from 7:30-8:30p 🆓
Pete’s Candy Store Reading Series
Tonight’s reading features a powerhouse trio: Ed Park (author of one of last year’s best reviewed novels, Same Bed, Different Dreams), plus Francesca Caposella and Cleo Qian. The good people of Greenlight Books will have copies of books for sale.
Pete’s Candy Store, Williamsburg
Thurs at 7:30p 🆓 📚 🍸
Friday, January 19
Last day to see Bettina: NEW YORK 1965–86 at Ulrik
This is the first show of the late artist Bettina since 1980, and it’s a great one. The Phenomenological New York series of photographs and video give you that much-needed reminder, now that we’re into the bleakness of January, that this is the best city in the world, and no we are not thinking about moving to Los Angeles.
Ulrik, Little Italy
Fri from 12-6p 🆓 🎨
Enter the Void screening at Metrograph
There’s nothing more luxurious and relaxing than sneaking out of work early on a Friday to catch a matinee. And what better way to unwind than with one of the most anxiety-inducing films of all time: Enter the Void, which plays a few times between now and next week at Metrograph. Thanks to Friend of the List Nick P. for the tip.
Metrograph, Lower East Side
Fri at 3:50p 🎬 🍸(and various times through Jan 24)
Opening reception for THE FIRST TASTE at the new Anat Ebgi
Los Angeles’ great gallery Anat Ebgi is now bicoastal, having just opened a new space in Tribeca. The First Taste is the inaugural show at their new New York location, featuring work from over 30 artists (which is one way to pack the space for the opening party). Before the opening tonight, don’t forget to see Friends of the Pod at Broadway Gallery across the street and let’s talk about the Tony Matelli piece.
Anat Ebgi, Tribeca
Fri from 6-8p 🆓 🎨 🦩
Opening reception for Emilija Škarnulytė’s Æqualia at Canal Projects
Æqualia is “a new immersive installation from Lithuanian-born artist Emilija Škarnulytė, co-commissioned by Canal Projects and the 14th Gwangju Biennale.” You get sea creatures real and imagined swimming through the Amazon Basin, and the resulting footage is a little fantastical, a little moody, and a lot thought provoking. Just the clips we’ve seen have stuck with us, so we highly recommend this one.
Canal Projects, Soho/Tribeca
Fri from 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Saturday, January 20
Mary Weatherford talks about her Gagosian show
Weatherford chats with Chrissie Iles, a curator at the Whitney, about her newly opened show, Sea and Space. After the talk, while you’re uptown anyway, we recommend hopping on the M1 bus down to 55th St to see The Notebook, a show by David Shrigley and Tal R at Anton Kern before it closes at 6p. It’s a 10 minute bus ride or a cute 25 minute walk from Gagosian to Anton Kern.
Gagosian on Madison Ave, Upper East Side
Sat at 3p 🆓 🎨
Matt Belk’s Sunset opening at The Hole
Matt Belk makes his solo debut at The Hole’s Walker Street location tonight. Belk’s paintings are landscapes with a little bit of weirdness. Something’s off in all the pieces: a tiny truck driving underwater in a pond, next to a shark the size of a duck (or is the duck the size of a shark?). It’ll be fun to see these puppies IRL, especially because The Hole cultivates really good vibes for their shows.
The Hole, Tribeca
Sat from 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Louis Osmosis’s Queues opening at Kapp Kapp
This is Louis Osmosis second show at Kapp Kapp, as far as we can tell, and we’re excited to see what he does this time. Osmosis’ work crosses sculpture, found objects, drawing, and performance. Kapp Kapp is at 86 Walker Street up on the 4th Floor; show runs through March 9.
Kapp Kapp, Tribeca
Sat from 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Sunday, January 21
Sunday service with Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir
Hear original songs from the Stop Shopping Choir, a sermon by Reverend Billy, and news from the world by Savitri D. If you can’t make it in person, subscribe to Earth Riot Radio to listen along. More on Earthchxrch in the special report below.
EARTHCHXRCH at 36 Ave C, East Village
Every Sun at 5p 🆓 🦩🎨 🎼
Last day to see Morgan's Bibles: Splendor in Scripture
We’re as surprised as you might be that this week’s theme is CHURCH. Take it literally by catching this show at the Morgan, featuring masterpieces of “archaeological artifacts, illuminated manuscripts, early printed books, decorative arts, and master drawings” from Pierpont Morgan’s collection.
The Morgan, Midtown
Sun from 10:30a-5p 🎨
SPECIAL REPORT: Theatrical Church
We’re noticing a trend in performance: theatrical church. Artists are taking the schtick of church (which is actually quite beautiful: singing, dancing, teaching, gathering, and even serving lukewarm coffee with stale cookies) to explore questions that have always been most pressing. How can we live? How can we heal the earth? How can we calm down, and love?
Let’s take a closer look at two banger performances happening this week.
Terce: A Practical Breviary
Last week, we told you about Terce: A Practical Breviary, opening at Irondale (a space in an old church in Fort Greene). It’s a one-hour mass that “reimagines the face of the ‘Holy Spirit’ through the lens of the Divine Feminine.” We saw it Saturday afternoon, just before New York Magazine put it at the very top of the Highbrow/Brilliant spot in the Approval Matrix, and we’re absolutely pounding the table for this show.
Note that every seat in the house has a slightly obstructed view by design. The director, Keenan Tyler Oliphant, says that “an obstruction is an invitation to see differently.” So don’t get nervous when you sit down and think you picked the wrong seat.
Tickets are still available but they’re selling fast.
Irondale, Fort Greene
Wed at 7p 🎭 🎼 🍸 (also Thurs and Fri at 7p, and Sat at 9a and 3p)
Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping present Earthchxrch
Perhaps you’ve seen Reverend Billy, dressed up in his Sunday Best and performing in the affect of a televangelist, chained to a tree scheduled to be chopped down by the city, shouting about trees’ rights to cops as they arrest him. Or maybe in Times Square, decrying mindless spending to passersby along with the Stop Shopping Choir. Or maybe at a Wal-Mart outside the city, where he and his choir lay hands on cash registers to “exorcize the evil within.”
Reverend Billy is one of the most endearing (to us, at least) and enduring New York performance artists whose work is deadly serious, even as it looks perfectly silly.
Along with the Stop Shopping Choir, he leads EARTHCHXRCH in the East Village every Sunday at 5p. At these gatherings, the choir performs original songs to imagine a better future with greater awareness, connection, love, and care. (If you can cultivate that, the rest starts to take care of itself.) Reverend Billy gives a sermon about caring for each other and for the earth, as the congregation shouts an occasional “Earthallujah.” Earthchxrch lands somewhere between performance art and community action, and we promise you won’t regret spending your evening with this wonderful crowd.
EARTHCHXRCH at 36 Ave C, East Village
Every Sun at 5p 🆓 🦩🎨 🎼
On Theatrical Church
We love the gesture to rebuild a kind of spirituality that feels more curated than prescribed—Terce and Earthchxrch both gather wisdom from different traditions and ultimately land on the takeaway that we know is true because it’s literally what happens every time you take a good psychedelic trip: you realize, oh wow, it really is all about love. And then you weep, gratefully overwhelmed with the feeling of connection, what Thich Nhat Hanh coined interbeing, that has always already existed between people, plants, animals, vibes, everything.
Have a great week, you beautiful people.
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