American Dream – Art Spiel

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026, by Laurie Gwen Shapiro

At Some Point, Every Household Object Stops Being Innocent

No one ever thinks the plate is going to become a problem.

A plate survives three apartments and one bad Thanksgiving. A suitcase gets hauled across borders or shoved beneath beds; sometimes it is packed in hope, sometimes because someone has no choice. An iron presses school clothes and funeral clothes, then outlives its usefulness and sits in a closet somewhere, still holding the pressure of human hands.

That is the animating idea behind extraORDINARY things, the quietly arresting exhibition at the Flinn Gallery in Greenwich Library.

June 29, 2024June 29, 2024, by Etty Yaniv

Art Spiel Picks: Chelsea Exhibitions for July 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

Crossings, partial Installation view at Kasmin, photo by Etty Yaniv

Chelsea has multiple exciting shows this summer, ranging from large group shows to solo retrospectives. We will highlight three shows with different curatorial premises. The Swimmer, a large-scale group show sprawling over the 9th and 10th floors of the FLAG Art Foundation, centers around the narrative of John Cheever’s short story from 1964, presenting works that dig into its themes and imagery. Another impressive large-scale group show surveys the increasing presence of weaving, textiles, and embroidery in contemporary art, featuring an international and intergenerational group of artists whose works push the boundaries of these traditional mediums. Lastly, at Pretzel, there is a beautifully curated retrospective of Malcolm Morley, offering a glimpse into the fascinating work of the late artist (1931–2018).

April 16, 2021November 2, 2022, by Anna Mikaela Ekstrand

Katya Grokhovsky: FANTASYLAND at Smack Mellon

In Dialogue with Katya Grokhovsky

A picture containing clothes, cluttered

Description automatically generated — Katya Grokhovsky, Fantasyland, 2021. Images courtesy of Smack Mellon. Photos: Etienne Frossard

Katya Grokhovsky ‘s site-specific installation FANTASYLAND at Smack Mellon explores the rise and fall of a fantastical empire and its uncertain future. Giant plush toys, inflatable beach balls, deconstructed and re-assembled mannequins, an unfinished carousel structure, recycled parachute canopies, wallpaper, a glowing neon sign, and performance videos, altogether underscore American society’s surplus of objects, and unbridled desire for material possessions, ironically, the capitalist symbol of freedom. The artist scrutinizes the American Dream through an immigrant lens, exposing a desirable yet unattainable mirage. Katya Grokhovsky’s work is currently on view in the solo exhibition FANTASYLAND at Smack Mellon, through May 2^nd, 2021.