The Lower East Side galleries, still growing in numbers at a tremendous rate, have developed a reputation for putting on the most experimental exhibits in the city, that take the viewer outside the proverbial box.   Well, I’m here to tell you that my Lower East Side gallery tour on Sat. April 20 will showcase a number of these “mind-expanding” exhibits, making it, in my opinion, the most thrilling tour of the month.  To say the least, this will not be a tour for those with conservative tastes.

A prime example of such an exhibit on this tour is an artist who spent months visiting 80 artist studios and chatting up the artists, and then STEALING one piece of artwork from each studio, without once getting caught.  Now his Lower East Side gallery is brazenly SELLING all this art!  No, the artist isn’t a common thief (though some of you may disagree) – rather, I think he’s a brilliant conceptualist in raising awareness of the fact that artists steal ideas from each other all the time, and there are almost never any consequences.  As a relatively non-material person, I’m of the opinion that ideas are more valuable than objects.  And if that’s true, is it REALLY any worse to steal art objects as it is to steal ideas from artists?  That’s what the entire art world is discussing, as they react to this extraordinary show in the L.E.S.  You have to see it for yourself before it closes in a couple of weeks.

Another show we’ll visit on the April 20 tour that pushes the boundaries is a Peruvian artist’s sculptures made by a cutting-edge computer PRINTER, using directions from software. They’re not small sculptures, either.  We tend to think of computer art as manifesting in video and photography, but using computers to build sculptures has further expanded the range of technology in art, and there’s no telling what limits, if any, there will be.   These will be just 2 of 7 cutting-edge shows on this tour.

The Lower East Side has, on average, the youngest gallery owners in the city, who in turn bring in the youngest, freshest artists.  Many of these are start-up galleries that are drawn to the relatively low rents in the Lower East Side, and can therefore afford to install the kinds of experimental exhibits to which I was referring, and still stay in business.  Indeed, the ones with the reputations for the best experimental art will be put on the art world map the soonest.

The single most exciting aspect of my job is introducing participants to truly original artwork that is on the cutting edge.  I hope you join me on April 20, and on subsequent trips to the Lower East Side, to see what awaits.

Rafael Risemberg, Ph.D., Director
New York Gallery Tours