As the sun set on Manhattan’s meatpacking district on Monday evening, the Whitney Museum of American Art was full of crowds for the opening of the 81st Whitney Biennial. This 12 months’s exhibition, Even Better Than the Real Thing, tackles questions on what’s “real” through works on the event of artificial intelligence, gender fluidity and the fragility of nature.
Critics and gallerists passed director Darren Aronofsky as he examined a series of sculptural figures by Rose B. Simpson.
“I read the museum’s description on the wall that explains it, and I like this year’s theme,” Mr. Aronofsky said. “Everyone is thinking about the same things in the world right now, so I like the idea of considering our current reality through art.”
Downstairs, a DJ played Latin dance hits to a crowd of art world figures who sipped Paloma cocktails and exchanged industry gossip. The museum’s stairwells were full of visitors moving through the constructing’s floors to achieve works by Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Pippa Garner, Holland Andrews, Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio and JJJJJerome Elliswhose art (and name) explores the condition of stuttering.
On the fifth floor, David Byrne – wearing white trousers, white sneakers and a white jacket – was taking a look at a sculpture of Jes Fan. Rose Lee Goldberg, curator and art historian, admired Dali Nasser’s installation. Show co-curators Meg Onli and Chrissie Iles warmly welcomed the artists.
Groups line as much as see Lotus L. Kang’s installation “In Cascades,” which consists of hanging sheets of light-sensitive foil that may change throughout the biennial.
“These parts of the film are constantly evolving,” Ms. Kang said. “They are porous, they take their own lives, and this uncertainty is also a reality of the human condition. Nothing is in a fixed state, including the body and identity.”
Elsewhere, designer Cynthia Rowley navigated crowds of bespectacled artists with bowl-shaped hairstyles. A critic on the cocktail table Dean Kissick exchanged notes in regards to the biennial with Mary Boone.
“I’m going to be writing about this show, so I’m still gathering my thoughts, but I think it sucks,” Kissick said. “According to this biennial, art goes back in time and goes to a more conservative place. What I mean by that is that there is a tendency in art today to combine progressive politics with conservative forms, media and aesthetics, and that’s what I see here.
On the sixth floor, Dustin Yellin reflected on Mary Kelly’s work “Lacunae,” which used calendars to study aging and mortality.
“For me, this year’s biennial theme is about the mental disruption and madness that’s dividing the country right now,” Yellin said. “The art here reflects a way for people to come together again.”
Outside on the balcony was a big and unsubtle installation by Kiyan Williams that tied together a few of the show’s thematic threads. Titled “Ruins of Empire II, or the Earth Swallows the Master’s House,” the earth-based sculpture depicts the columned facade of the White House sinking into the bottom.
When the museum was abandoned for the night, a couple of guests remained on the balcony, surveying the wreckage and gazing the American flag atop it fluttering within the wind.
Make a sensation within the art world
While New Yorkers were still forming their opinions in regards to the Whitney Biennial, one other art world event began. On Thursday night, the Grill and the Pool restaurants in Midtown hosted the annual gala of the Art Production Fund, which commissions public art projects comparable to Prada’s solo installation Marfa in Texas and Seven Magic Mountains in Nevada.
The Grill’s metal chain curtains sparkled because the cocktail hour began around 6 p.m., and stars like Olivia Wilde and Drew Barrymore filled the room. This 12 months’s gala theme was cruise ship, and waiters wore captain’s hats as they handed out trays of crispy artichokes and sliders. Several guests sat on loungers and sipped blue margaritas under cocktail umbrellas.
Debbie Harry and Cynthia Rowley caught up with old friends in the gang. Fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti admired an installation by Laila Gohar, a chef and artist known for her whimsical food-based works produced from a whole lot of oyster shells. And Huma Abedin was hanging out on the bar with hotelier Sean MacPherson.
“I think we always look for beauty where we can find it, in New York,” Ms. Abedin said, reflecting on the worth of public art. “Walking down Park Avenue or Madison Square Park and looking at everything on display gives me a moment of escape. As New Yorkers, we need things that allow us to see beyond our apartments, and public art democratizes beauty.”
Mr. MacPherson shared her opinion.
“A city without public art is a poor place,” he said. “Art is what separates us from the barbarians.”
The city’s young art world also got into the fray, comparable to artist Chloe Wise, art dealer Max Levai, Vanity Fair author Nate Freeman and gallery owner 56 Henry, Ellie Rines.
“Because public art is ‘public,’ for some people that comes with a certain belief that it can’t also be challenging,” Ms. Wise said. “People overlook this issue from a snobbish point of view, and that’s why the Art Production Fund is so important.”
Ms. Rines took one in all her artists, Cynthia Talmadge, together with her on her date. “It’s true, public art is sometimes perceived as lacking in flair, but this event always adds style and flair to it.” Mrs. Rines he said. “I have always loved Picasso-inspired paintings sculpture which is located on the square in SoHo.
Soon, the guests sat down to dinner in the royal space of the Basin. They nibbled on smoked salmon served with latkes and capers while shirtless dancers, performing choreography by artist Shikeith, splashed in the hall’s lighted pool. Entitled “Visiting Hours,” it paid homage to the gay shipping culture that once flourished on the quays of the Hudson River.
Casey Fremont and Kathleen Lynch, directors of the nonprofit organization, gave opening remarks to kick off the fundraiser, which raised more than $850,000. Sara Friedlander, senior vice president at Christie’s, then hosted a live auction in which Joel Mesler’s nautical-themed painting “Untitled (Cruise)” sold for $120,000.
As guests finished their Carbone lobster ravioli and endless orders of martinis arrived on the tables, the restaurant slowly emptied. Sitting alone together, they were artists Anna Weyant and podcast host Eileen Kelly.
Ms. Kelly reflected on the power of public art.
“I always loved the Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Central Park,” Ms. Kelly said. “Many children grow up seeing this and will never forget it, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. It is a wonderful sculpture that gives back to people.”
“I think public art is sexy,” she added. “Our world can be so ugly, so why not make it more beautiful if we can?”
