There’s always a lot going on in the art world in New York, but this week—with the opening of Performa 15 and PrintWeek—will see one of those spikes in activity that demonstrate why this city has ever been and will forever be the center of, among other creative pursuits, the visual arts universe.
PERFORMA 15
From November 1 to 22, 2015, the performance art organization Performa puts on Performa 15, a biennial of visual arts performance at various locations across New York City.
The biennial extravaganza, founded in 2005, will this year premiere new works by artists Robin Rhode (South Africa), Pauline Curnier Jardin (France/The Netherlands), Edgar Arceneaux and Erika Vogt (United States), Performa alums Jérôme Bel (France) and Jesper Just (Denmark), and returning artist Francesco Vezzoli (Italy) in special collaboration with dancer David Hallberg (United States), to name only a few.
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Francesco Vezzoli and David Hallberg, "Fortuna Desperata 2015," A Performa Commission; photo by Francesco Vezzoli, courtesy of L'Uomo Vogue, Conde Nast Italia.
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Performa 15, the sixth edition of the visual arts performance festival, is bringing together more than 30 artists from 12 countries around the world to participate in three weeks of programming. Offerings include Performa Commissions, Performa Projects, Performa Premieres, Performa Hub, Pavilion Without Walls, and more.
According to organizers, the goal is to break down “the boundaries between visual art, music, dance, poetry, film, and architecture.” For each biennial, Performa pays homage to a bygone era through a historical anchor, such as Futurism and Russian Constructivism, to show the prevalence of live art during earlier periods; this year the historic reference is The Renaissance.
A message from Founding Director and Curator RoseLee Goldberg on the Performa 15 website noted that “subject matter will cover a broad range of topics that do not fit under a single headline: rather, like the pages of an international newspaper, with its sections on metropolitan life or political affairs, cinema, science literature or sports, Performa ranges across cultural sub-sets.”
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Pauline Curnier Jardin, "The Lady Weather Speakerine in Keys To Our Heart" still, 2012; photo courtesy of the artist and PSM Gallery, Berlin.
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PRINT WEEK
The 2015 Print Week, sponsored by the International Fine Print Dealers Association, runs from November 2 to 8 at various venues around New York, with the anchoring Print Fair exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory running from Thursday, November 5, through Sunday, November 8.
The jam-packed schedule of lectures, exhibitions, demonstrations, gallery talks, and openings, according to the IFPDA, “is focused on printmaking and its vitality as an artistic practice.” Print Week also offers opportunities, according to organizers, to “connect with IFPDA member galleries, museums, and non-profit organizations to discover new projects, enrich your knowledge of fine prints, and expand or begin your own collections.”
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IFPDA Print Fair. Courtesy www.ifpda.com.
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Hours for the IFPDA Print Fair at the Park Avenue Armory are noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 8. Click here for details.
The IFPDA website notes of the Print Fair exhibition that it offers visitors “an unrivaled opportunity to view and acquire outstanding works across the diverse range of periods and specialties represented by the IFPDA’s exhibiting members. While the Fair is known among museum curators and major collectors for its rare and exceptional prints, excellent works can be found in all price ranges, including exciting new projects from today’s leading and emerging artists.”
While IFPDA Print Fair may take center stage, it's not the only print fair in town. Satellite fairs with different focuses are being held throughout New York City. Click here to read our list and where to find them.
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Editions/Artists Books Fair. Photo by Gulshan Kirat. Courtesy of Editions/Artists Books Fair.
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BASIC FACTS: Information on Print Fair Week can be found by clicking here to discover exhibitions and events compiled by the International Fine Print Dealers Association, who organizes the IFPDA Print Fair and New York Print Week.
For a list of fairs exhibiting during New York Print Week, click here to read Hamptons Art Hub's story "Fairs to Find During New York Print Week".
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