This week, New York’s art scene offers a fascinating polarization between performance and pattern aesthetics. Exhibitions across four different venues push the boundaries of artistic expression, inviting viewers into a deep exploration of both aesthetic and conceptual questions.
Here are the four standout art events in New York:
Vaginal Davis: Magnificent Product
At MoMA PS1, this expansive exhibition examines the multifaceted career of artist, performer, musician, and curator Vaginal Davis. As curator Daniel Larkin notes, Davis oscillates between the miniature and the monumental, aiming to disrupt entrenched thought patterns. The exhibition feels like a long journey through the artist’s themes and roles.
Duane Linklater: 12 + 2
On view at Dia Chelsea, this exhibition reaffirms performance as a cornerstone of artistic expression. Duane Linklater invites viewers to reimagine the world through the perspective of bison. Critic Aruna D’Souza highlights that Linklater not only liberates the bison but also re-envisions the world on their terms.
Judy Ledgerwood: Twilight in the Wilderness
At Gray Gallery in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Judy Ledgerwood’s works challenge the rigid rules of pattern. Critic John Yau describes Ledgerwood as a masterful painter who breathes new life into the Pattern and Decoration movement through improvisation and surprise.
Data Consciousness: Reframing Blackness in Contemporary Print
This thought-provoking exhibition at Print Center New York in Chelsea explores how infographics, inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois, are used in contemporary art. Critic Seph Rodney likens the experience to “encountering an iceberg of meaning”: seeing a vast structure but realizing you can never fully grasp its entirety. It’s a powerful exploration of the complex relationship between perception and data.
These four exhibitions showcase New York’s artistic diversity, inviting viewers to deeply question seeing, understanding, and memory.
Exhibition Details:
- Judy Ledgerwood: Gray Gallery, 1018 Madison Avenue (until November 1, 2025)
- Data Consciousness: Print Center New York, 535 West 24th Street (until December 13, 2025)
- Duane Linklater: Dia Chelsea, 537 West 22nd Street (until January 24, 2026)
Vaginal Davis: MoMA PS1, 22–25 Jackson Avenue (until March 2, 2026)
Note: The final performance in Duane Linklater’s dance series takes place this weekend.
