(image via Gagosian / Facebook)

Things
Opening Tuesday, May 15 at Gagosian, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through June 23.

When you look into the body of work that Swiss artist Urs Fischer is created, you’ll quickly see a common theme is how the human form can be manipulated and distorted, whether that’s crafting grotesque collages of faces that once looked typical or sculpting a huge bust of Katy Perry and inviting onlookers to alter it with clay. He’s also interested in how everyday objects (a block of cheese, a gallery floor) can be broken open or picked apart until something new and surprising is created. Average objects will once again be on display in his latest show at Midtown’s Gagosian, aptly titled Things. The central “thing” of the show is a life-size rhinoceros sculpture with household items like vacuum cleaners and copiers clinging to it as if it was some sort of huge magnet for domestic chores or office tasks. And isn’t everyone, unfortunately, at some point in their lives?

(image via 7 Line Collective / Facebook)

Latinx
Opening Wednesday, May 16 at The Factory LIC, 7 pm to 9 pm. On view through June 22.

If you’ve never heard the term “Latinx,” or never got around to asking people what it meant because you didn’t want to seem like you didn’t know what was going on, it’s a gender-neutral term to be used instead of Latino or Latina. Though this is a relatively simple definition, how the actual Latinx identity is understood and defined by people of Latin American origin is far more multifaceted. “There is no one way to define Latinx and to do so would erase a large portion of our identities,” notes the description for this group exhibition showcasing six Latinx artists as part of the LIC Arts Open, which delves into topics like stereotypes, colorism, and more. As this show is all about the diversity and complexity inherent in the wide array of Latinx people that exist, take in all you can from looking at these artists’s works, but also remember that there is so much more out there.

Classroom, 1980s – detail © Arlene Gottfried / Courtesy of Daniel Cooney Fine Art (via Living Gallery Outpost / Facebook)

Enthrall and Squalor: Photographing Downtown 1977-1987
Opening Sunday, May 20 at The Living Gallery Outpost, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through May 24.

You don’t have to look far in the city to find people who are still fixating on its grittier days, when crime was more prevalent, but so was cheap rent and DIY art spaces. Seeing as new people move to the city every day, and likely are encountering a high degree of Starbucks and tall, sterile condos, it’s worth repeatedly reminding the populace what the city used to be. As this month is Lower East Side History Month, in addition to photographer Meryl Meisler’s exhibition at The Storefront Project, you can see vintage downtown imagery from four artists (including Meisler) at the Living Gallery’s new East Village location. From young Basquiat and CBGBs to the everyday people who walked down the streets, it’ll give you a taste of what once was. The exhibition runs a brief five days, but also features walking tours, book talks, and more.