Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 11/12-11/18

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers!

Be the first to take a pic of the giant new “YO” (or is it OY?) sculpture in Brooklyn Bridge Park which was installed this week. Take in an artist talk with Awol Erizku, who challenges the traditional idea of the male gaze, Fiona Banner as she talks language with the Public Art Fund, or head to the Fashion Institute of Technology for a panel discussion on art in the age of surveillance. Fernando Do Campo unveils a new site-specific installation in Chelsea, Kim Keever’s abstract underwater pigment swirls enliven Waterhouse and Dodd, and Paul Booth revamps his goth gallery, reopening this week. After it’s all said and done, chow down on hot dogs and beer at Paul Pretzer’s studio while getting a sneak peak of his January solo show.

Deborah Kass- “OY/YO” ↑
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Main Street lawn
Through August 2016
Kass’ oversized yellow painted aluminum sculpture (measuring 8′ x 17′ x 5′) will hold court over Brooklyn Bridge Park all winter, likely becoming the new favorite spot for people and their selfie sticks.

“Localized Contagion” – Fernando do Campo ↑
Praxis New York, 541 West 25th Street
November 12, 6:00 p.m.
Painter Fernando do Campo kicks off the opening of a site-specific installation, using his love of abstraction and geometry to inspire a piece which reacts to Praxis’ Chelsea space.

“Kim Keever: Random Events” ↑
Waterhouse and Dodd, 960 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor
November 12, 6:00 p.m.
Keever’s colorful furls look like paintings, but are really photographs of droplets of bold pigment unraveling in water. Check out the latest series of this beautiful work.

Awol Erizku in Conversation With Journalist Alicia Quarles ↑
The FLAG Art Foundation, 545 West 25th Street, 10th Floor
November 13, 6:00 p.m.
Hear from artist Erizku in conjunction with FLAG’s current exhibition, “Awol Erizku: New Flower | Images of the Reclining Venus,” which challenges the traditional odalisque with a series of portraits in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. The artist chats with Quarles and FLAG’s founder Glenn Fuhrman. Talk begins at 7:00.

Booth Gallery Inaugural Exhibition, “Second Sight” ↑
Booth Gallery, 325 West 38th Street
November 14, 6:00 p.m.
Paul Booth’s gothic Last Rites Gallery becomes reborn and rebranded. Tonight, the new look features a group show with works by Chad Wys, Jesse Draxler, Ekaterina Panikanova, Ted Lawson, Jade Townsend, Johan Barrios, Mike Cockrill, Ryan Hewett and Todd Lim.

Hot Dog Party at Paul Pretzer Studio ↑
284 Grand Street
November 15, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Hot dogs? Come nosh on some franks and beer for an art party preview of Paul Pretzer’s new paintings that will be part of his solo show at Marc Straus in 2016.

Public Art Fund Talks: Fiona Banner ↑
The New School, The 66 West 12th Street Auditorium
November 18, 6:30 p.m.
The Public Art Fund brings another fantastic talk to the New School. This time they engage with British artist Fiona Banner, whose large-scale installations, sculpture, drawing, film, and performance explore the limitations of language–including some stellar pieces using military aircraft.

Snowed-In: Art in the Age of Surveillance ↑
Fashion Institute of Technology, Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street
November 18, 7:00 p.m.
Presented by the students of the Art Market Department at the School of Graduate Studies, this panel discussion brings together Allison Burtch, Paolo Cirio, Adam Harvey, Karen Levy and Sandra Skurvida on the topic of surveillance. These artists, scientists, and scholars will discuss the impact of surveillance on their personal practices and on our daily navigation of physical and digital spaces.

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Lori Zimmer is a writer, curator and founder of Art Nerd New York, an off-beat art history guide to the city. Lori also recently released her first book through Rockport Publishers, The Art of Cardboard: Big Ideas for Creativity, Collaboration, Storytelling, and Reuse. Follow her on Twitter @LoriZimmer.