This week, an exhibition the stirring political etchings of Mexican artist Nicolás de Jesús, critic John Yau takes a closer look at "Anselm Kiefer: Exodus" at Gagosian, and more.
New York December 21, 2022 Anselm Kiefer’s philosophy has its roots in German Romanticism, particularly the belief that the artist can mediate between the creative and the divine, between earth and heaven. | John Yau Anselm Kiefer: Exodus Nov. 12–Dec. 23 Gagosian, 555 West 24th Street, Chelsea (gagosian.com) Steir’s work of the ’90s was the result of physically demanding processes. What happens when you cannot do what you once did? | John Yau Pat Steir: Blue River and Rainbow Waterfalls Nov. 10–Dec. 23 Hauser & Wirth, 542 West 22nd Street, Chelsea (hauserwirth.com) The Mexican artist’s works reveal the radical possibilities of an indigenous sensibility charged with a keen awareness of politics and art history. | Faye Hirsch Nicolás De Jesús: A Mexican Artist for Global Justice Sept. 7–Dec. 23 Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY (neuberger.org) The rules that structure Jane’s paintings take her to some place strange and fascinating, beautiful and perplexing, mind-boggling and riveting. | John Yau Xylor Jane: Second Saturn Return Nov. 4–Dec. 22 Canada, 60 Lispenard Street, Tribeca (canadanewyork.com) Photojournalist Donovan Quintero’s photo essay is the third installment in the online exhibition series Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field. Learn more. Mirror Image: A Transformation of Chinese Identity Jun. 15–Dec. 30 Asia Society Museum, 725 Park Avenue, Upper East Side (asiasociety.org) Asia Society’s latest group exhibition explores an up-and-coming generation of artists who came of age during the liberalization of China’s economy. Unlike their predecessors, these seven young conceptualists move beyond traditional Chinese motifs to critique the fast-paced changes experienced in their lifetime so far. Saya Woolfalk: Field Notes From the Empathic Universe Oct. 21–Dec. 31 Newark Museum of Art, 49 Washington Street, Newark, NJ (newarkmuseumart.org) Brooklyn-based artist Saya Woolfalk’s socially realistic fiction is a posthuman world where the Empathics, a special race of women, fuse diverse cultures to produce hybrid artifacts and relics. Also on display is Woolfalk’s first self-portrait, which critiques nationalism and belonging, placed next to the museum’s renowned collection of Hudson River School paintings. Become a member today to help keep our reporting and criticism free and accessible to all. The 500-acre museum and sculpture garden is refusing to voluntarily recognize the union. | Billy Anania In a rare move, the organization will retroactively pay this year’s grant recipients to match the new prize amount. | Elaine Velie The 15 initial winners of the Art Matters Foundation grant each choose another artist to receive the prize. | Elaine Velie |