An X-Rated Exhibition, In-Flight Creations, and More Art This Week

Smut
Opening Wednesday, February 20 at Con Artist Collective, 7 pm to 11 pm. On view through February 22. 

Many pieces of art are meant to be refined and cultured, prompting viewers to gaze at delicate brushstrokes and profound deeper meanings. But some art is just plain hot, and you sure can find a lot of that (plus some refined and cultured stuff, too) at the opening of Smut, a steamy group show curated by Liam Cotter and produced by Solas Studio featuring art ranging “from the erotic to the pornographic.” Of course, the line between those two descriptors is historically blurry, but it’s unfortunately common to see “fine art” insisting that porn doesn’t have a place in it, so the fact that that’s not the case here is refreshing to see. Over 40 artists working in all types of disciplines will be exhibiting as part of the show, so there’ll certainly be a lot to take in. Just make sure to keep it in your pants.

Echoes
Opening Wednesday, February 20 at Equity Gallery, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through March 16.

The three artists participating in Equity Gallery’s latest show—Jo Confino, Laurel Marx, and Paz Perlman—deal in matters of subtlety. Though they create in different ways (Confino and Marx through photography, Perlman through prints and sculptures), the common thread that unites their work is about as small and delicate as, well, a piece of thread. Whether it’s sunlight, the bustle of city streets, or the negative space clinging to a textured glop of pigmented paint, the art seeks to reveal what may not be immediately apparent, but is worth spending a little more time looking for.

Ification
Opening Sunday, February 24 at Fridman Gallery, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through March 31.

There’s not much to do on an airplane. You’re stuck in a seat, the air smells weird, you might be nauseous, the food is weird (or lately, nonexistent), and there’s not a lot of room to engage in activities. However, this could very well be the perfect framework to create something new and different. Some may disagree, but that’s exactly how artist Nina Katchadourian created much of her new solo show, Ification, opening at Fridman Gallery on Sunday. The series, Seat Assignment, consists of works made using on materials found while on airplanes, created over the course of nine years and 275 flights. That’s not all there is to see—there are several other pieces combining elements of sculpture and sound, including a popcorn machine that interprets its own popping sounds as Morse code that’s then translated live into English.