Armory Art Fair Week is about to arrive and NYC will soon be buzzing with an incredible amount of art to experience. While the fairs alone could occupy an art-lover all week long, there's a lot to see apart from The Armory Show and its satellites. For the low-down on the art fairs, check out our Ultimate Guide to the NYC Art Fairs of Armory Art Fair Week. If you're looking for alternative things to do (or are experiencing an art-fair overload and need a break) check out our list of things to do (and art to see) in New York City during Armory Art Week.
The New York Earth Room
This permanent installation in Soho is open year round, but it could serve as the perfect respite from the clamor of the art fairs. Walter De Maria's "earth sculpture" consists of 250 cubic yards of dirt covering 3,600 square feet of floor space in an empty apartment. It's worth a visit just to witness the spectacle, but the experience is also uniquely serene and could provide a much-needed opportunity for introspection.
Admission is free. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. (closed from 3 to 3:30 p.m.) The New York Earth Room is located at 141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012. www.diaart.org/sites/main/earthroom.
Click here for details.
Isa Genzken’s "Two Orchids" in Central Park
Isa Genzken's towering sculpture "Two Orchids" will be on display beginning on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 in the Doris C. Freedman Plaza in the Southeast Corner of Central Park. The stainless steel sculpture depicting two orchids rises 34 feet in height and achieves a deceptively delicate appearance despite it's construction. If stopping by to see the sculpture inspires you to see the real thing, you can head up to the New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Show, on view through April 17, 2016 in the Bronx.
The Doris C. Freedman Plaza is located at the East Side Perimeter Wall, Central Park, Fifth Avenue and 60th Street. www.centralparknyc.org.
Click here for more information.
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"Two Orchids" by Isa Genzken. Courtesy Central Park Conservancy.
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Maria Hassabi: PLASTIC at MoMA
Maria Hassabi’s PLASTIC will be performed during open hours at MoMA through March 20, 2016. The live installation is composed of dancers moving at a barely perceptible pace continuously throughout the museum. Dancers at times seem to pose in a position of collapse or transition in a performance with no obvious beginning or end. The piece encourages visitors to closely observe small shifts in performers’ motions over time in order to explore the tension between stillness and movement.
Free with museum admission ($25). MoMA is located at 11 West 53 Street, New York, NY 10019. www.moma.org.
Click here for details.
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Rehearsal for Maria Hassabi's "PLASTIC" (2015), The Museum of Modern Art, October 30, 2015. Photograph © 2015 The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Photo: Julieta Cervantes
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FUSION NY
The FUSION art event, organized by the West Harlem Art Fund takes place from March 1 to 3, 2016 at various venues. Similar to but not quite an art fair, the event includes exhibitions, tours, and panel discussions. The FUSION art event begins with a breakfast panel discussion on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at Red Rooster in Harlem.
Visit www.fusionny.wordpress.com for more information.
Click here for the full schedule of events.
"Closed Worlds" at Storefront for Art and Architecture
If you find yourself downtown this week, take a detour to pass by "Closed Worlds" at the Storefront for Art and Architecture, on view through April 9, 2016. The small, avant-garde exhibition space displays rotating shows of international design and architecture. The space itself is worth a look, an 100-foot long façade with a series of twelve movable panels that pivot vertically or horizontally to open the entire length of the gallery directly onto the street. On view now is an exhibition of prototypes of closed system, self-sustaining living environments (think space capsules and submarines).
Admission is free. The Storefront for Art and Architecture is located at 97 Kenmare Street, New York, NY 10012. www.storefrontnews.org.
Click here for details.
Panorama Challenge at the Queens Museum
If you have the energy to travel to Queens after your day at the fairs, consider heading over to the Queens Museum on Friday, March 4, 2016 to blow off some steam. The Museum presents an evening of unusual trivia at their Panorama of the City of New York, the world's largest architectural scale model from 6 to 10 p.m. The Panorama Challenge quizzes participants about New York City while laser-wielding tour guides from The Levys’ Unique New York! point out clues on the Panorama. Both pros and first-timers are welcome. The event benefits the Queens Museum and The City Reliquary Museum.
Admission is $15. The Queens Museum is located at the New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY 11368. www.queensmuseum.org.
Click here for event details.
Mela Foundation's Dream House
Mela Foundation's Dream House could be the ultimate way to decompress after fair-going. The Sound and Light Environment is a permanent Tribeca fixture, though it closes for the summer season on May 1, 2016. Visitors can remove their shoes and walk through, sit, or recline in an empty room soaked in purple light while speakers emit a constant drone. Unusual and thought-provoking, it's not to be missed.
Suggested Donation is $5. Hours: Wednesday to Saturday from 2 p.m. to midnight. The Dream House is located at 275 Church St. New York, NY 10013. www.melafoundation.org/dream02.htm.
Click here for details.
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Mela Foundation's "Dream House." Photo: Marian Zazeela, © 1993.
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