Broome St - Despaña, China-ism II: Democracy or Economy, Vertical Neck

The bocadillos (sandwiches) at Despaña, with their imported ingredients and artisanal bread, are pretty much little works of art, so start there. If you can’t decide between the scrumptious-sounding options, they offer flautas and pintxos (aka mini-‘wiches), which are perfect for tasting a few.

After you’ve savored your last tasty morsel at Despaña, head over to White Box for a heavy dose of China-ism. This show, China-ism II: Democracy or Economy, features work by Anton S. Kandinsky (a non-Asian artist) and Ai Weiwei (a Chinese artist who was recently detained by the government.) “China-ism” is Kandinsky’s term for “artistic interpretation of contemporary China,” and this confrontational show begs the question, “If China is already changing the world, will the world change China?" Shake your Magic 8 Ball, and let me know what it says! 

Down the block at Simon Preston, Michelle Lopez’s Vertical Neck is like a study of what happens to minimalism over time. With Blue Angel, her aluminum monoliths look more like flimsy, sagging sheets of Mylar. So, is the conclusion of this experiment that minimalism behaves like all natural bodies over time? Gravity kicks in and things go south? I hope not!

Ingredients:

Venues: Simon Preston; White Box

Artists: Michelle Lopez; Anton S. Kandinsky; Ai Weiwei

Streets: Broome St, Eldridge –Lafayette Sts

Eats: Despaña

Map: