Welcome to This Week in Culture, a weekly agenda of show openings and events in major cities across the globe. From galleries to institutions and one-of-a-kind happenings, our ongoing survey highlights the best of contemporary culture, for those willing to make the journey.
“Metamorphosis” by Leonor Fini
Kasmin New York
“I have always loved to dress up in costume,” said Leonor Fini. Now, work spanning seven decades of the artist’s career are going on exhibition at Kasmin, exploring the Italian surrealist's themes of masquerading, performance, and transformation through painting, sculpture, and other works. The pieces feature figures from drama, folklore, and the artist’s own dreams. Also in the exhibit are costumes and sculptures recently shown in “The Milk of Dreams” at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. “Metamorphosis” will be on view at Kasmin from January 12 through February 25, 2023 at Kasmin’s 297 10th Avenue location in New York.
“Echo” by Elliott Hundley
Regen Projects Los Angeles
Inspired by the chaos stored inside Elliott Hundley’s LA Chinatown studio, the artist’s exhibit presents a frenetic, densely packed environment at the gallery, much like the work on display. Hundley’s canvases are filled to the brim with layered imagery, challenging the viewer to find a peaceful spot to rest their eyes. Also included in the show are sculptures, assemblages, paintings, photographs, ceramics, and the artist’s Prospect New Orleans piece, Balcony, 2021-22. “Echo” will be on view from January 14 through February 19, 2023 at Regen Projects in Los Angeles.
“Felix Gonzalez-Torres”
David Zwirner New York
The work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres is coming to three of David Zwirner’s New York locations with four major installations. Two of the works, Untitled, 1994–95 and Untitled (Sagitario), 1994–95, were conceptualized before the artist's death in 1996, but were never exhibited. Now, visitors will get a chance to see the large-scale billboard and reflecting pool constructions as the artist imagined them. Also on display is one of his candy works and three manifestations of his word portrait, Untitled (Portrait of the Magoons), 1993. “Felix Gonzalez-Torres” will be on view from January 12 through February 25, 2023 at David Zwirner’s 519, 525, and 533 West 19th Street locations in New York.
“May 25, 2020” by Esteban Jefferson
303 Gallery New York
May 25, 2020 is, as well as being the title of Esteban Jefferson’s spring 2023 exhibition, the date that George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis. Since then, Jefferson has been tracking the visual landscape of racial protests in his native New York. His artwork, featuring graffitied monuments of long dead military men and reimagined American flags, reflect the spirit of change that filled that year. “May 25, 2020” will be on view from January 14 through February 25, 2023 at 303 Gallery in New York.
“The Pursuit of Happiness” by Genieve Figgis
Almine Rech Paris
Traditional European portraits and Rococo landscapes drip and obscure in Genieve Figgis’s paintings. The disfiguration of historical figures represents the "melting pot" of our current culture, or at least the ideal of such diversity. Looking at the artist’s modern interpretations calls attention to the vast passage of time since these older, artistic styles were en vogue. In this sense, her renderings are not only an aesthetic disruption, but a foreceful insertion of modern sensibilites. “The Pursuit of Happiness” will be is on view through February 11, 2023 at Almine Rech in Paris.
“Simone Forti”
Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) retrospective on Simone Forti is the first of its kind on the West Coast, and looks at the entire scope of the choreographer and visual artist’s oeuvre. Works on paper, videos, holograms, and performance ephemera will be on display while, a few days out of the week, the museum will host performances of Forti’s choreography, the cast comprised of local Los Angeles artists and creatives. “Simone Forti” will be on view from January 15 through April 2, 2023 at MOCA in Los Angeles.
“Let The Sunshine In”
Pilar Corrias London
If current bouts of sociopolitical turmoil can be artistically rendered as “darkness,” then the artists in Pilar Corrias’s new group exhibition offer a sliver of hope as they “let the sunshine in.” The title comes from a 1969 5th Dimension song of the same name from the musical Hair. Lisa Iris Viktor, Manuel Mathieu, Kat Lyons, Vivien Zhang, Mary Ramsden, and more have created paintings, photography, sculpture, and other works that envision a brighter future. “Let The Sunshine In” will be on view from January 12 through Feburary 18, 2023 at Pilar Corrias in London.
