Alexandre Singh’s The School for Objects Criticized
New Museum
Thru January 23

Alexandre Singh, _The School for Objects Criticized_, 2010, Multimedia installation, installation view: New Museum of Contemporary Art. Source: New Museum of Contemporary Art

Caught Free at the New Museum before it closes on January 23rd. By chance, I saved the best for last: Alexandre Singh’s multimedia installation, an installation as theatrical “play,” with inanimate objects as actors. Found objects were lent WASPy perspectives and political positions in surround sound audio tracks and theatrical lighting. It was entertaining, which made the fact of sitting in a room looking at common objects even more strangely compelling.Thankfully, Free is accompanied by an online catalog, with more info on the installation.

Haegue Yang’s Voice and Wind
New Museum
Thru January 23

This installation of colorful, rainbow-palette Venetian blinds and scents occupies the New Museum’s ground floor glass-walled installation space. It’s a fun installation that invites people to walk thru, dipping under portals and encountering semi-enclosed spaces to sniff different scents. I was most interested in the parallels I found with my own work; in the statement, Yang professes an interest in happiness, and colors “on the edge of taste.”

Walls & Bridges: Happiness
New York Public Library
Saturday, January 29, 2011

I’m looking forward to this dialogue about happiness and art, featuring Barbara Cassin, Daniel Handler, Maira Kalman, and Sophie Wahnich.

America considers the pursuit of happiness an inalienable right. But where is this pursuit taking us? How valuable is positive thinking? In arts, melancholia has long been a source of inspiration. Specialist of Ancient Greece Barbara Cassin will give a philosophical point of view on the topic, and historian of the French Revolution Sophie Wahnich will bring some insight on the conditions of happiness. They will be discussing with co-authors of 13 Words Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) and Maira Kalman, also New Yorker cover artist and author of the acclaimed And the Pursuit of Happiness.