One of my favorite things about New York City is its surprises. Every street corner you turn holds potential for a new discovery. On the corner of West 36th and 10th Avenue, the unfamiliar Exit Art cultural center strives to present “innovative exhibitions, films and performances that reflect a commitment to contemporary issues and ideas.” Since 1982, Exit Art has housed exhibits that are anything but the usual.
Currently open for the public is Rico Gatson’s Three Trips Around the Block. The exhibition includes Brooklyn-based Gatson’s sculptures, paintings, videos, drawings, and installations that generate “collective memory through the exploration of symbols and images culled from popular culture and the mass media, questioning issues of identity, racial intolerance, and the status quo.” Gatson merges history with mass culture to create politically and racially charged artwork.
Also on display is NEW MONEY: Business Models for a Sustainable Future. This exhibition includes products from 20 innovative companies whose commitment to environmental and social consciousness is evident. The included companies and organizations “approach markets in new and innovative ways that foster cooperation, awareness, social and environmental justice, sustainability, philanthropy, stewardship, and humanitarianism.”
The center’s program is filled with upcoming events that emphasize environmental and social activism. Check out the website here.
This sounds so awesome! Can we go? I love that this center focuses on art that addresses social issues and that it does not limit its expressions to certain art forms. Art can have many effects, and, in this case, the art is probably intended to foster awareness about social injustices. Hopefully the artwork focuses on actual injustices, though, rather than fake ones.
Totally worth a trip. This is just another example of the incredible range (and the incredible density of thought) that exists in the cultural life of New York City. One semester is not enough time. You will need the rest of your life!