Not Vital at Sperone Westwater

Globe-trotting Swiss artist Not Vital fills Sperone Westwater’s Lower East Side gallery with stainless steel heads that echo the austere, clean line of the gallery’s architecture. As much as the reflective material draws the viewer in, however, the uniform, monochromatic surface repels investigation into the character of these heads, which were partly inspired by huge Buddha the artist encountered in his travels. (Through October 4th).

Not Vital, installation view of ‘Everton’ at Sperone Westwater Gallery, September 2014.

Urs Fischer at Gagosian Gallery on the Lower East Side

New York gets a chance to see select sculptures made by some of 1,500 participants in Swiss artist Urs Fischer’s retrospective at LA’s Geffen Contemporary last summer. Select pieces have been cast in bronze and are on view at Gagosian Gallery’s atmospheric Lower East Side pop-up in an old Chase bank. (Through May 23rd).

Urs Fischer, mermaid (in middle ground of photo), cast bronze, 40 ½ x 48 x 84 inches, 2014.