MUST-SEE ART EXHIBITIONS | OCT 2016
By Nicole Bray, Contemporary Art Consultant | info@mercercontemporary.com
OSGEMEOS
Silence of the Music
September 8 – October 22, 2016
Lehmann Maupin
536 West 22nd Street, New York
If you’ve recently walked past the intersection at 2nd Ave and 1st Street on your way to Ludlow House, you can’t help but notice the monumental mural by Brazilian duo, Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo, otherwise known as OSGEMEOS. Their first solo New York show is a multi-sensory and immersive experience that embraces unbridled imagination and the vast possibilities of the subconscious. The floor-to-ceiling interactive exhibition at Lehmann Maupin pays tribute to the golden age of hip-hop during the 1970s and 1980s and the cultural influences of working class Brazil.
Rashid Johnson
Fly Away
September 8 – October 22, 2016
Hauser & Wirth
511 West 18th Street, New York
Forbes described this exhibition as possibly “the most important and timely [art] exhibition of the year.” The current landscape of explosive racial animosity compounded with incredible feats in Black artistry has resulted in a redefining of pop culture. Beyonce’s Lemonade, Kanye’s Life of Pablo, while they are fantastic entertainers, against the backdrop of the social landscape they cannot be simply viewed aesthetically – they are becoming political figures. Rashid Johnson’s tightly curated show is his personal expression of culture and his place within it. The mesmerizing themes of anxiety, escape, and identity, have the viewer ask, “What is causing his anxiety?” Violence, injustice, explosive racial conflict, gender inequality, economic and political instability? His personal expression as an artist inevitably morphs into a political and social commentary.
Carmen Herrera
Lines of Sight
September 16, 2016 – January 2, 2017
Whitney Museum of American Art
99 Gansevoort St, New York
At 101 years old, Cuban-American painter Carmen Herrera continues to energetically and prolifically create minimalist abstract works. Described as a “Must See” museum show by Artnet, the exhibition consists of about 50 works, including, drawings, sculpture, and paintings that trace the arc of her career from the years between 1948 to 1978.
artREAL contributor Nicole Bray is the founder of Mercer Contemporary and guides private and corporate clients through each step of acquiring, selling, managing, and displaying artwork. She received her Masters in Contemporary Art (Hons.) from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York. She was the recipient of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Emerging Curator Fellowship 2015, and has worked at both an Auction House and for a distinguished private family. If you would like to contact Nicole, or if you are interested in starting your own collection, please email her at info@mercercontemporary.com or visit www.mercercontemporary.com.