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Reconsidering Content In Open Call Group 2
at The Shed Bloomberg Building, NYC (through) August 25
Reviewed by Jill Conner
When The Shed opened in April, it was roundly panned by the cultural press, despite the fact that it is currently the most dynamic platform for emerging, contemporary art made by artists who live and work in New York City. The rough, daily endeavor of living and working here finds resonance throughout the monumental, rhomboid shape designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro that is imbued with movement. This philanthropic effort to finally preserve and platform the city’s ever-growing, marginal, creative culture is not only epic, but long overdue.
Anchored by concrete, the building is made up of moveable surfaces that extend across 200,000 square feet, dividing into an array of galleries, two theaters and a connecting plaza. Both interior and exterior accommodates devices for new technology, revealing The Shed’s dedication to contemporary art that is both edgy and unpredictable. Open Call Group 2 consists of works by 22 artists who were each commissioned to create a site-specific piece.
The vast space that comprises the Level 2 Gallery embodies the exact opposite of white-cube interiors that are still typical of many exhibition spaces. The arrangement of white walls with white light has the unfortunate effect of minimizing…
