Dia Beacon

Last Friday, my colleagues and I loaded up in a Zipcar and drove an hour out of Manhattan to Dia Beacon, a museum dedicated to art from the 1960s to the present. Housed in a former Nabisco box printing facility in Beacon, NY, the cavernous space is perfect for exhibiting large scale works by such artists as Joseph Beuys, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Smithson, Lawrence Weiner...the list goes on. 

Another reason I like going to Dia Beacon is that in the four times I've visited, it's always been quiet and nearly empty, a refreshing change from the crowds at most museums in the city. There's always plenty of time for observation, contemplation, and wandering through Richard Serra's "Torqued Eclipses," one of my favorite installations.

These four rolled-steel plates are each two inches thick and weigh twenty tons. 

  I love the simplicity of the shapes, the purity of material, and the elemental nature of these massive structures.

A close up of the steel's patina

Following the curve of the spiral 

A blurry pic of my friend basking in the afternoon light at the center of a Serra Eclipse.

If you've never experienced Indian classical dance, tomorrow would be a great time to start. The Asia Society will be presenting a lecture/demonstration by Madhavi Mudgal and Leela Samson, two of the foremost exponents of Odissi and Bharatanatyam, respectively. It's a rare opportunity to not only see these legendary artists perform, but also hear them speak about their craft.

October 1st, 2013
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, New York, NY

Madhavi Mudgal (left) and Leela Samson (right)

Please erase the moon's me

I am rarely moved by video art, but this piece, "Did I ? , 2013" by Hiraki Sawa at the Lyon Biennale left a lasting impression. There was a haunting, dreamlike quality to the black and white imagery, the pulse of the soundtrack, and the layering of live action and animation. 

The actual piece is much longer, but this brief clip gives you a sense of the pace and aesthetic.

Reading up on it later, I came to learn the work was inspired by Sawa's friend, who lost his memory and had to re-imagine his life.

This summer, I was introduced to the work of artist, Sam Falls, at Karma gallery in Amagansett, New York. I really enjoy the colors and distorted sense of nostalgia in this series.