Up On The Roof: Petrit Halilaj | Abetare (Spider) at The Met 

The Kosovo-born artist draws intricate, goofy, figures in space against the Manhattan skyline—birds, flowers, Batman—in metal for the latest Rooftop Commission, which opened yesterday. But look a little closer and fearsome shapes emerge: a hammer and sickle, an ominous spider, indecipherable characters with no linguistic heritage. Halilaj brings to his work images from childhood memories of his country under siege, which he was taught, as a youngster, would help him overcome the trauma of war. 

“The casual scribbles of schoolchildren done on their desks in moments of boredom or distraction reveal the fantasies and dreams of their minds,” said Halilaj. “I started to explore this in my practice in 2015, and it was important for me then to extend the dreams of my school in Kosovo to Europe, a part of the world from which my country was still isolated. Now, in 2024, numerous desks and scribbles from schools across the Balkans are showcased in a new context and on a new continent. My work here at The Met is dedicated to all the children whose lives have been interrupted and deeply scarred by wars around the globe. I hope their dreams will fly us to a better future.”

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenjue, New York, NY Info

Wednesday, May 1, 6-8pm: Teresita Fernández | Soil Horizon at Lehmann Maupin

Over the course of her decades-long career, FernTeresita ández’s practice has been characterized by an expansive reimagining of what constitutes a landscape: from the subterranean to the cosmic, to contentious borderlines and borderlands. In Soil Horizon, the artist turns inward, to the elusive and numinous landscapes we carry within. Returning repeatedly to the question “Where am I?” as an emotive and conceptual point of origin, Fernández unravels the intimacies between matter, human beings, and places.

In Soil Horizon Fernández debuts several bodies of work, including two large-scale sculptural pieces, a series of copper relief panels, and notably, her first film, co-directed with Juan Carlos Alom. Following Soil Horizon at Lehmann Maupin, SITE Santa Fe will present Teresita Fernández / Robert Smithson. Opening in July 2024, this two-artist exhibition will feature over 30 works by Fernández and mark the first time Robert Smithson’s oeuvre has been placed in conversation with an artist working today

Lehmann Maupin, 501 West 24^th Street, New York, NY Info

Thursday, May 2, 6-8pm: Anderson Borba and Gokula Stoffel | Thinking Hands at Ghebaly

From carved hardwoods and salvaged textiles to newsprint, gifted objects, and oil painting, Brazilian artists Anderson Borba [above left] and Gokula Stoffel [above right] employ a diverse array of materials in their multimedia practices, which both explore themes of time, chance, craft, and the body. In theThinking Hands, the artists consider ideas of intelligence that emphasize movement and tactile sense as independent centers of knowledge beyond the brain. Through repetition and systems of sculpting, weaving, or painting, as well as close attention paid to the unique material identities of their respective media, each artist isolates in their work a poetics of intuition and somatic sense that underscores the fundamental physical relationships linking art and artist, body and environment.

François Ghebaly, 391 Grand Street, New York, NY Info

Thursday, May 2-Sunday, May 5: Superfine Art Fair

This art fair “brings cool to Times Square,” billing itself as the most dynamic fair of the year. Now in its 7^thedition, Superfine embraces a hands-on, inclusive art fair model designed to appeal to artists without traditional gallery representation. 

A big part of holding an art fair for artists involves both bringing in pre-qualified buyers and a bigger-than-usual marketing budget. The goal? Sales. There are 130+ hand-curated displays spread over 10,000+ square feet, but the atmosphere is affable and intimate. Seventy-five percent of surveyed visitors report that meeting and connecting with the artists is their favorite part of attending Superfine. Above: Art by longtime DART subscriber Chemin Hsiao, who will be at Booth 120/Chashama

Superfine Art Fair, 151 West 42^nd Street, New York, NY Info

Friday, May 3: Jay Lynn Gomez | Under Construction

Formerly known as Ramiro Gomez, this is Jay Lynn Gomez’s first major presentation since her transition from male to female and since moving from Los Angeles, CA where she was born and raised, to Boston, MA, which she now calls home. Continuing to use her photography practice as source images, Gomez creates a new series of paintings and mixed media works that depict moments of respite, reflection, and fantasy. Combining personal memories and the contemporary lived experiences of herself and her trans sisters, Gomez portrays the complicated emotional, physical, and psychological work of reinvention.

Alongside the paintings and installations, Gomez will also present a new series of painted hormone medication box covers. While some depict fleeting scenes of childhood memories and quotidian moments from daily life, others are left abstract, their expressive purple brushstrokes reminiscent of both turbulent landscapes and bruised flesh. In all of them, Gomez’s former name is visible on the prescription label.

PPOW, 392 Broadway, New York, NY Info

Saturday, May 4, 3-5 pm: Spring Fever at Studio 41 

Eight LIC artists join curator/artist Amy Geller [left] in the Spring show at the working studio of printmaker Dianne Martin. Studio 41 was founded as a collective to bring people closer to art and artists. You will always find several of the artists from the collective in the gallery when it is open. 

Look for them at the etching press, at an easel, or leading a workshop. Making art accessible to all is a founding principle of the collective. From paintings, prints, and photography to ceramics, sculpture, and jewelry, the work is priced affordably.

Studio 41, 27-15 41st Avenue, Long Island City, NY Info Free and open to the public every Saturday and Sunday from 1–5pm.