Tag: Conceptual Art

Oliver Beer at Almine Rech Gallery

Inspired by 17th century German scholar Athanasius Kircher’s cat organ, which elicited sounds made by cats, British artist Oliver Beer created ‘Cat Orchestra,’ a musical instrument crafted from 37 found objects in the form of hollow cat vessels.  Now on view at Almine Rech Gallery’s Tribeca space, the piece’s sound is activated by a keyboard that turns on microphones in each vessel to produce resonances that together form an ethereal musical performance.   Motivated to find music where it’s least expected, Beer awakens viewers to possibilities everywhere.  (On view through April 27th).

Oliver Beer, installation view of Cat Orchestra, 37 hollow cat vessels and sculptures, plinths, microphones, speakers, audio equipment, dimensions variable, 2024.

Nina Canell at 303 Gallery

Swedish artist Nina Canell has explained that sculpture is ‘an encounter,’ meaning that the atmosphere created by a piece and its materials will drive interest.  In the artist’s first solo show at 303 Gallery in Chelsea, unusual works involving fossils and conveyors achieve this goal, prompting curiosity via strange juxtapositions.  In this piece titled ‘Mother of Dust,’ a moving conveyor belt dominates the gallery; positioned just above the belt, a broom pushes along a handful of pearls.  As large as the sculpture is, the interest is in the point at which broom and pearls meet and the constantly moving, changing pattern of pearls generated by the device.  Canell’s interest is in geology, time and the interventions of humans in nature; although humans are absent here, their presence is indicated by the broom’s work – a process that has been set in motion and left to play out as it will.  (On view through Oct 28th).

Nina Canell, Mother of Dust, pearls, broom, modified conveyor belt, 280 x 35 x 23 inches, 2023.

Naotaka Hiro at Bortolami Gallery

Framing an artwork is normally a secondary consideration to making it, but in Naotaka Hiro’s new works at Bortolami Gallery, the frame includes a wood panel onto which Hiro works directly.  After securing the panel a foot above the ground, Hiro lies underneath and records the position and movements of his body in acrylic, graphite, grease pencil and crayon.  The resulting abstraction continues the artist’s exploration of the body, specifically what can and cannot be seen except through camera or mirror.  Represented as gouges at center, striped and scale-like patterns and asterisk-like marks, the physical and spiritual aspects of the body merge in a unique self-portrait.  (On view in Tribeca through Aug 26th).

Naotaka Hiro, Untitled (3 Rings), acrylic, graphite, grease pencil, and crayon on wood, 58 1/8 x 42 x 2 in, 2022.

Dieter Roth at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

Six hundred binders hold plastic sleeves filled with studio waste in a huge installation of books and other material created by Dieter Roth and his son and collaborator, Bjorn Roth currently at Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Chelsea. Every piece of trash less than 5mm thick found its way into a binder in the years 1975-76, resulting in a portrait of the artist told through postcards, cigarette butts, packaging and more. ‘The worse it looks, the better,’ Roth noted on one binder. (On view through July 29th).

Installation view of ‘Books. Dieter Roth. Bjorn Roth. Studio,’ Hauser and Wirth Gallery, April 27 – July 28, 2017.

Sol LeWitt at Paula Cooper Gallery

Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing #368 appears to pulse and move as it surrounds visitors to Paula Cooper Gallery. In addition to the physical impact, there’s also appeal in imagining the various ways LeWitt’s instructions (as enumerated in the drawing’s title) could be interpreted. (In Chelsea through Oct 22nd).

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #368: The wall is divided vertically into five equal parts. The center part is divided horizontally and vertically into four equal parts. Within each part are three-inch (7.5 cm) wide parallel bands of lines in four directions in four colors. In each of the other parts, three-inch (7.5 cm) bands of lines in one of the four directions. The bands are drawn in color and India ink washes. Red, yellow, blue, ink, India ink 3” (7.5 cm) bands. First drawn by: Jo Watanabe and others. First installation: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN, January 1982. India ink. dimensions variable.
Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #368: The wall is divided vertically into five equal parts. The center part is divided horizontally and vertically into four equal parts. Within each part are three-inch (7.5 cm) wide parallel bands of lines in four directions in four colors. In each of the other parts, three-inch (7.5 cm) bands of lines in one of the four directions. The bands are drawn in color and India ink washes. Red, yellow, blue, ink, India ink 3” (7.5 cm) bands. First drawn by: Jo Watanabe and others. First installation: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN, January 1982. India ink. dimensions variable.