The New Museum Gets a Sci-Fi Makeover

After a hiatus, the doors of the New Museum on the Lower East Side of Manhattan have reopened to the public to showcase a brand-new and expansive exhibit called New Humans: Memories of the Future.  We recently visited the museum during its beloved Thursday late night hours, where we found the multistoried space chock-full of other guests taking in the eclectic creations on display. Leading with the quote, “Nothing is stranger to humans than their own image,” from Czech writer Karel Čapek, the exhibit presents artistic work at the intersection of humanity and technology. Visitors can glimpse mind-bending paintings layered with collage, mechanically driven devices, floating drones overhead, and dangling humanoid figures, all of which range from endearing and engaging to grotesque and uncanny. As we perused narrow hallways, wide galleries, and secret staircases, we could hear the clicking of an automated typewriter, the rattling of an unexplained jar of crystal shards, and the lilting music of a short film. The exhibit is a love letter to science fiction and the strange, while explicating the real and sometimes harrowing cultural roots of each artist, movement, and reference featured. One imposing construction by artist Tau Lewis, a colossal human frame built from an assortment of textiles, found objects, and fragments of shell, bone, and pearl, bears the unsettling proverb “When the axe came into the forest, the trees said, ‘the handle is one of us.” As a jellyfish-like robot whirs overhead, piloted by unseen engineers behind a gallery wall, the figure opens its arms in an embrace, a fusion of organic materials and steel with a human form. Perhaps it asks us, how much are we made of nature? How much are we made of technology? And how much does it matter? 

Outdoor Exploration

In celebration of New York Art Week, we explored the latest art installations in the Hudson Yards and Flatiron neighborhoods.

Our first stop was Roberto Lugo’s exhibition “Alfarero del Barrio” or “village potter,” which consists of a larger-than-life orange fire hydrant and a twenty-foot-tall urn, both carved from milled foam. Together, these works celebrate the artist’s Puerto Rican heritage and invite viewers to engage directly with a culture that has a vibrant and enduring presence in New York City.

We then stopped by Hudson Yards to see Brendan Murphy’s newest installation “Love Matters Everywhere,” which features a 12-foot reflective teddy bear, named “Loretta,” and sitting on a nearby bench, a masked astronaut. Murphy explores the complexity and beauty of the human experience, asking onlookers to look directly at themselves as they admire his sculptural work.

Just across the street, we cooled off by the fountains and took in Giangaetano Patane’s “The Last Five Fish in the Sea,” an installation of five terracotta fish, swimming at the base of the fountain’s pool. An intimate and simple portrayal of the sea, Patane’s work offers a calming respite in the middle of Manhattan.

With great art all around, we hope you get a chance to check out some of the ongoing exhibitions and installations!

“Dear New York” by Brandon Stanton

This week, we happened upon “Dear New York,” a striking new exhibition at Grand Central Terminal. Conceived by artist Brandon Stanton, who is best known for his work “Humans of New York,” and produced in collaboration with the MTA, Pentagram, Juilliard, Korins Studio, and NYC Public Schools, the installation transforms one of the city’s most iconic public spaces into a powerful celebration of everyday New Yorkers.

Replacing the advertisements that typically adorn the space, Stanton’s immersive art installation of vivid photographs fills the terminal. Each photograph captures authentic moments and stories from across the five boroughs. In the grand concourse, 50-foot projections cycle through portraits and quotes, set to a moving live piano performance that adds emotional depth to the experience. A particularly meaningful section features portraits of individuals nominated by NYC students, accompanied by heartfelt notes explaining why their nominee inspires them.

“Dear New York” is more than an art installation, it’s a love letter to the city and its dwellers, as well as a reflection of its diversity, resilience, and creativity. It also highlights the transformative potential of public art in urban spaces. If you're in the area within the next two weeks, through October 19th we encourage you to visit and celebrate humanity.

“In Mortal Repose” by Diana Al-Hadid

On 27th street in Manhattan sits a woman melting away. Sculptor Diana Al-Hadid’s installation, “In Mortal Repose,” is displayed by the Kasmin Gallery just off the high line for viewers to enjoy.

“In Mortal Repose” depicts a woman slowly melting and dripping down the side of a concrete pedestal. All that remains intact is the woman’s torso and feet, with her feet fallen below. Notably, the woman’s head is missing. Al-Hadid described her process, explaining that she does not look at heads as she sculpts, because the head is the “only thing on your body you can’t really see.” The sculpture is a welcome addition to New York’s landscape and offers viewers a chance to reflect on the self, forever disintegrating, growing, and evolving.

“N.Y.C. Legend” by Alexander Klingspor

Have you heard Alligators living in the New York City sewers? These creatures have survived urban legend, passed on by kids and adults alike in a tall tale that developed in the early 1920s and never quite died. Fear not, there are no real alligators roaming the New York City sewers (that we know of), but this bit of folklore has stood the test of time and the story continues to be shared.

Swedish Artist Alexander Klingspor pays tribute to this old urban legend in his latest bronze statue “N.Y.C. Legend,” currently on display at Union Square in Manhattan through June 2024. Klingspor’s statue follows the age-old tradition of myth becoming art, bringing to life the classic tale of the New York City Alligators.

Look closely enough at this installation, and you will find some modern touches alongside Klingspor’s alligator. A quarter represents the relic of a society becoming increasingly cashless, a plastic straw represents the growing awareness of plastic wastefulness, and a COVID test container represents what we have recently overcome. The trash left in this Alligator’s sewer is a testament to where New Yorkers have been, and where we are heading.