Best New York Exhibitions: Teresita Fernández, Raul Guerrero, and More

During Frieze New York, the city is brimming with must-see exhibition openings in prestigious spaces including David Kordansky Gallery, Lehmann Maupin, Sprüth Magers, and more. 

Raul Guerrero: “Terra Incógnita” at David Kordansky Gallery

April 25 — June 8, 2024
A vivid presentation of new paintings by artist Raul Guerrero opens this spring at David Kordansky Gallery, continuing a rich and personal exploration of the interconnected landscapes of Southern California and Northern Mexico. Guerrero, an American of Mexican descent, utilizes Surrealist techniques to dazzling effect, profoundly exploring the significance of visual motifs in these linked environments. The show’s evocative title, which is Latin for “Unknown Lands,” is a highly nuanced study of colonialism, delving into a labyrinth of cultural exchange, further enhanced by compelling art historical and appropriated political images. 

Invoking his grandfather’s emigration to Texas, as well as his own experience growing up in National City, California, and Tijuana, Mexico, whimsical desert paintings feature the artist’s satirical sensibility, placing illustrated car crashes, advertisements selling commercial comforts, and more as billboards within the desolate wilderness. 

Teresita Fernández: “Soil Horizon” at Lehmann Maupin

April 25 — June 1, 2024
On April 25, Lehmann Maupin raised the curtain on a decadent exhibition of new pieces by New York-based creative Teresita Fernández. Throughout her long-standing, exploratory career, the artist has deeply considered the notion of the landscape, whether above or below. Here, Fernández focuses her gaze on the far reaches of the inner self for a grand and poetic journey into the soul and matter of humanity itself. “Where am I?” was the question permanently placed at the heart of “Soil Horizon,” juxtaposing the metaphysical and the material for a momentous conversation between mortality, spirituality, and our oneness with Mother Earth. 

Two sweeping sculptural works, a ravishing series of copper relief panels, and the visionary’s first film are on display. The exhibition’s principal installation, Sky (Burial) comprises more than 7,500 ceramic cubes, meticulously glazed, conjuring the sensorial tones and textures of the earth’s genesis by way of mesmeric kiln-firing. 

Alighiero Boetti: “Insecure Unconcerned” at Sprüth Magers

March 29 — May 25, 2024
In honor of the illustrious artist Alighiero Boetti thirty years after his death, Sprüth Magers unveils a solo exhibition of vibrant artworks. Additionally, the presentation is dedicated to Pasquale Leccese, the creative’s late confidant and curator of his dynamic shows at Sprüth Magers, who last year was preparing to curate “Insecure Unconcerned.” Four-decades worth of enchanting artistry unfolds, and luminous archival materials meet essential pieces such as Insicuro Noncurante (1966–75), “Biro” drawings (1975– 78), and more. 

Central to the exhibition is Insicuro Noncurante, a comprehensive portfolio of 81 numbered sheets which illuminate the details of Boetti’s prolific artistic production, including the esoteric, underlying inspirations of singularity and multiplicity, order and chaos, seeking and finding. 

Luana Vitra: “Mineral Rising” at Mendes Wood DM

April 30 — May 25, 2024
Contagem-based artist Luana Vitra revels in an inaugural solo show, “Mineral Rising,” at Mendes Wood DM, on view from April 30-May 25. Employing her experience with drawing and sculpture, Vitra offers dreamlike installations embellished with diverse materials such as copper, wood, ceramics, and fabrics to investigate misuse of nature’s bounty throughout history and the customs of her homeland. By wandering through her own region, the artist collects imagery from the evolving vistas, as well as treasured memories, in order to create visceral works of art. Rich shades of earth found in commercial zones and ethereal hues of the sky unite uniquely with industrial debris—notably iron. “It is the matter that makes up the ground of the earth that I grew up in, it is the matter with which I feel a kinship,” explained Vitra. 

Observing the skills and beliefs of the Zulu and Xhosa peoples of South Africa has also had a profound effect on the multi-layered sculptural works of the artist. “Sculpture is an enchantment of drawing in space. I grew up seeing hands passing through the beads of the rosary, endlessly repeating the same prayer. Spirituality is also the path that hands take on the beads; it is as if these points lead the body to the invisible, nurturing protection and a good path.”  

“Jennifer Rochlin. Paintings on Clay” at Hauser & Wirth

May 2 — July 12, 2024
Opening May 2, “Jennifer Rochlin. Paintings on Clay” is an organic and lavish voyage through memory, community, and art history at Hauser & Wirth. Los Angeles-based painter Jennifer Rochlin first discovered a penchant for clay making during a teaching opportunity 16 years ago, and since then her intuitive practice of producing picturesque clay vessels has grown into a renowned vocation. Cinematic narratives starring the beloved individuals in Rochlin’s life are meshed with prismatic imagery of flora and fauna, culminating in a celebration of the hand-crafted subtleties of life and art. 

Beginning with thoughtful sketches, the artist lets her imagination soar when creating the free-form gems, and work titles such as Trans-Siberian Railway (2023) and Green Tapestry with Poppies and Bites (2024) recall travels to distant lands and unforgettable moments of sensorial wonder and delight. Petite corresponding paintings of the charming pots further immerse viewers in the alluring narratives. 

“Under Present Conditions” at Friedman Benda

May 2 — June 15, 2024
A thought-provoking exploration of the major concerns of our time through the lens of leading contemporary designers is presented at Friedman Benda. Traditional and innovative techniques such as recycling and upcycling are placed front and center as today’s visionaries meditate urgently on universal themes of sustainability and overconsumption. 

The celebrated Brazilian Estúdio Campana mindfully continues the life of nature’s surrounding elements by means of master craftsmanship and ingenious proposals. British designer Max Lamb puts the recycled cardboard found within his studio to new and groundbreaking use. The intricate history and repercussions of the avocado industry are brought to light by Mexican designer Fernando Laposse, who recovers materials previously thought to simply be of no value. The resulting designs are hypnotic, vital works of art and historic storytelling, guiding us towards a bright and ethical future.