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What’s Doing In NYC
Godzilla vs Kong
Make sure you have your TV remote in hand when you watch “Godzilla vs Kong” because you will want to fast forward to the action scenes. The movie co-stars Alex Skarsgard of True Blood, Kaylee Hottle and Millie Bobby Brown, who unsuccessfully reprises her role from the original, where she was saved by Godzilla. Skarsgard said, “It’s humbling for a narcissistic actor like myself, to know that no one will go to see this movie because I’m in it.” True that! Godzilla can be seen on HBO Max and in theatres.
Promising Young Girl
Carey Mulligan, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress stars as Cassie, a vixen who lives a secret double life. In this revenge thriller Cassie goes to clubs at night and seduces men by pretending to be drunk and then confronts them with their inevitable bad behavior. Mulligan said, “It’s a sort of beautifully wrapped candy, and when you eat it you realize it’s poisonous.”. Emerald Fennell, who directed the film, won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. See it on Amazon Prime.
The Art Scene
Kusama: N.Y. Botanical Gardens
Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist who is attracting blockbuster crowds to her exhibit and immersive installations at the N.Y. Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. Kusama reveals her lifelong fascination with nature, which goes back to her childhood where she spent time drawing in her family’s seed nursery. Kusama showcases an array of works including Dancing Pumpkin, I want to Fly to the Universe, and the Infinity Mirror Room. Her diverse conceptions of infinity and eternity are inspired by her personal engagement with the colors, patterns, and life cycles of plants. Kusama will be on display until October 31. nybg.org
KAWS: Brooklyn Museum
KAWS: WHAT PARTY is the new blockbuster show at the Brooklyn Museum.
For over two decades Brooklyn-based artist KAWS, Brian Donnelly, 46, has interwoven the worlds of art, commerce and pop culture into his edgy graffiti drawings on advertisements, KAWS said, “When I started painting on ads, it occurred to me that the ad really set the work in a specific time. An untrained eye might not be able to distinguish the difference between the 80s and 90s. When you paint over ads, it clicks.”. The exhibition presents more than one hundred of KAWS’s intriguing works, including rarely seen graffiti drawings, paintings and mammoth sculptures, as well as monumental installations of his renowned COMPANION figures. WHAT PARTY also features new pieces made exclusively for this retrospective. KAWS’s artwork highlights that even in cultural circumstances crafted by consumption and image, emotions such as love, and loneliness persist. KAWS allows us to engage with his art both virtually and in person in order to investigate our connection and relation to these pieces. With the Acute Art application, KAWS showcases new augmented reality works which grant visitors the ability to interact with his sculptures using their smartphones. The show will be up through September 5th. brooklynmuseum.org
Galerie Gmurzynska: Arnulf Rainer
Isabelle Bscher’s Galerie Gmurzynska is exhibiting works by Australian artist Arnulf Rainer at 43E 78th. Rainer is a key figure of Art Informel and along with Kusama and KAWS, one of the most influential living artists of our time. Isabelle has curated a large selection that represents Rainer’s different artistic periods and styles, from his early paintings to his later works. The over painting of horticultural works and books from his personal library, some with hidden figures lurking on the page is especially intriguing. Rainer says, “It was only gradually as the years went by that there evolved black surfaces and bundles of strokes in which I recognized myself.” The show will be up until June 12th. gmurzynska.com
The Guggenheim
The museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939, has a unique spiral ramp that allows you to wander past Richard Serra’s “The Matter of Time”, Magritte’s “Empire of Light”, and the popular “Composition 8” by Vasily Kandinsky. The latest exhibition Knotted, Torn, Scattered: Sculpture After Abstract Expressionism features work from the 1960s and ’70s by artists Robert Morris and Lynda Benglis who helped redefine the legacy of postwar art in the United States. guggenheim.org
The Frick
The Frick Collection is currently closed and undergoing its first major renovation in eighty-five years. The museum’s major pieces, including treasures by El Greco, Rembrandt, Titian, and Velázquez, have moved to Frick Madison, the institution’s temporary home at 945 Madison Avenue. Seeing these old masters in this minimal contemporary space as opposed to the original 5th avenue mansion built in 1912 allows you to view the art in a new and inspiring way. frick.org
Carlton Fine Arts: Linjie Deng
Art collector Libbie Mugrabi was the first to snap up a Yin Yang painting by Chinese American artist Linjie Deng, at his exhibit Asian Art Spa at Madison Avenue’s Carlton Fine Arts. Deng is a conceptual artist who created an edgy selection of works in response to the violence that the Asian community is facing in America. The sales from some of these works are being donated to Think!Chinatown, a non-profit that focuses on fostering an inter-generational community through neighborhood engagement, storytelling & the arts. Linjie’s works are juxtaposed by pieces from Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marc Chagall and Mr. brainwash. The show runs through Labor Day.
Linjie’s Instagram: Linjie_deng, carltonfa.com
Marquis Who’s Who
Erica Lee, the CEO of Marquis Who’s Who (MWW), the world’s leading biographical publisher, announced the annual Market Maker’s list, highlighting the men and women who have meaningfully influenced the public financial market. Lee said, “Marquis Who’s Who wanted to celebrate those who have been leading figures who sought and fought to make a difference. Who’s Who lists, issued several times a year, seek to highlight and amplify the voices of significant players across many different genres, helping to continue to forge our path as the foremost global biographical source for journalists, researchers and search firms around the world.”, those featured include Bill Gates, Chase’s Jamie Dimon, BET co-founder Shelia Johnson, crypto currency pioneer Brock Pierce, and Centurion Financial’s Corey Ahlawat. marquiswhoswho.com
Cuisine Solutions: Award Winners
Dr. Bruno Goussault, Chief Scientist of Cuisine Solutions, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the USA Chapter of the Académie Culinaire de France. This prestigious award was given to Dr. Bruno for his commitment to educating acclaimed and aspiring chefs about sous vide cooking . Dr. Bruno stated, “I have devoted my life to continuing to perfect the sous vide cooking process”. Along with this, Cuisine Solutions was named Food Engineering magazine’s 2021 Sustainable Plant of the Year for their sous vide processing facility in Texas. This facility has the largest community solar installation in San Antonio and uses compressed earth block which allows future expansion of plant areas without disruption to the surrounding environment. Cuisinesolutions.com
Judge Leventhal: Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins
Judge Leventhal, who is a tireless advocate for victims of domestic and elder abuse, announced his retirement from the Appellate Division Second Department. He will now bring over 40 years of legal experience to his new role as a partner at Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins. Founding partner Arthur Aidala commented, “Judge Leventhal will enhance the depths of our criminal and civil litigation divisions.”. aidalalaw.com
