White & Church Sts – Think of me, Private Stash: A Musician’s Eye

Fashion designer turned visual artist Alexandra Bircken has redirected her knitting needles toward audiotape for her latest solo exhibition, Think of me, at Kimmerich. The resulting texture of the black-and-tan weave is richly dense and strangely emotional. It is a testament to the ever-waning relevance of this form of recording and a reminder that digital files hovering in the interweb will replace tangible mementos. (It also reminds me of how sad I was when my Fisher Price tape recorder ate my favorite cassette. Traumatizing!) Beyond the audiotape, Think of me is a thoughtful repurposing of rope, twigs, magnets and much more. It’s the perfect take-a-break-and-change-your-perspective lunchtime show!

Next, stop in to apexart for jazz musician Fred Hersch’s collection of folk art and music. Private Stash: A Musician’s Eye is an intimate tour through Hersch’s music-making process, from visual and audible inspiration to completion. You’ll love it if you’re into folk art, and you’ll love it even more if you’re into music. Among the bright artwork there are “scribbles” of original sheet music and ipods playing samples of finished compositions. Particularly striking is the video footage of Hersch’s opera My Coma Dreams, which he wrote and produced after recovering from a debilitating two-month coma. It is a wonderful tribute to the healing powers of music and art.

Note: This post is for my friend D who is in town this week for work and staying in TriBeCa. D, since you’ll barely have time to sneak out for lunch, I say pop into Kimmerich, grab Pane Panelle to-go and head back. apexart has too much you’ll want to watch and listen to. You’ll be late getting back to the office and spend the afternoon wishing you were still at apexart. 

There is absolutely nowhere to sit at the tiny new sandwich shop Pane Panella, but don’t let that keep you from this deliciousness. Grab a namesake sandwich (chickpea fritters, caciocavallo and ricotta cheese on a fluffy bun) and find yourself a cozy seat in the lobby of the of the Tribeca Grand. Or, if (unlike today) the skies are clear, walk one block over to the lovely little park on Walker and 6th Ave.  By the way, the sandwiches are on the small side, so if you're feeling hungry, go for meatballs by the pint. Has anyone tried the Vastedda Linguetta (aka beef tongue)?? I'm a little suspect... 

Ingredients:

Venues: Kimmerich, apexart

Artists: Alexandra Bircken, Fred Hersch, Madeleine Gekiere, Hugh Kepets, Marianne Kolb, Rebecca Layton, Mary McDonnell, Miguel Rodriguez, Alexandra Rozenman, Rosalind Solomon, Michael Wilson

Streets: White & Church Sts

Eats: Pane Panelle

Map: