New Old: Designing For Our Future Selves
Opening Thursday, February 6 at Pratt Manhattan Gallery, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through May 23.

Technology has always been both a blessing and a curse, but recently this sort of cognitive dissonance has become more and more apparent. Amidst looming hyper-surveillance and other technological developments that might give you goosebumps, there’s still the truth that tech and design can be harnessed for good. The latest exhibition at Pratt’s 14th Street gallery, curated by Jeremy Myerson, explores this by focusing on innovation in the field of aging and how that can manifest by way of design, from cars to clothes and beyond. 

Puffy
Opening Wednesday, January 22 at Fort Makers, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through March 11.

Usually you can’t touch the art, but starting this Wednesday at Orchard Street space and art collective Fort Makers, you can not only touch it, but rearrange it to your liking. Puffy, organized by Naomi S. Clark, Noah James Spencer, and Nana Spears, transforms the space into a colorful playground of pillows and canvas ready to be grabbed, hugged, and strewn about. If you’re still finding yourself in the clutches of seasonal depression, perhaps an afternoon getting in touch with your inner child (while also engaging in art, of course) could help.

stain begins to absorb the material spilled on
Opening Thursday, January 16 at Doosan Gallery New York, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through February 15.

This “lab” exhibition by artists Tiffany Jaeyeon Shin and Jesse Chun is an intellectual and sensorial treat, offering much to see, hear, ponder, and even smell. The show focuses on the curious relationship between language and digestion, with each artist centering their work around one of these two components. Chun unpacks and deconstructs language’s ability to “render one readable as a subject,” from the ubiquitous presence of English to the power of official written documents, while Shin (who also has an ongoing session at Recess) utilizes ancient Korean vases used for fermentation to explore the theoretical and literal vitrification (the process of a substance becoming glasslike) that occurs in conjunction with Westernization.

Comfort
Opening Thursday, January 89 at Friedman Benda, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through January 15.

Everyone has a different definition of comfort. Your grandfather’s old and cigarette-scented armchair might feel like home to you but cause another person to wrinkle their nose in disgust. Curator Omar Sosa’s latest show at Friedman Benda focuses on the harmonies and contradictions inherent in items, particularly pieces of furniture and design, meant to bring comfort in one way or another. As this is an art exhibition and not a furniture showroom, comfort is usually interpreted quite creatively—think a boxy bookshelf that leans but never falls, a sculpture entitled “Toilet Sink,” and a colorful blanket meant for a pair.

An Evening With Muses
Opening Wednesday, December 18 at Ace Hotel New York, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through December 20.

Whether it’s a ticketed drink and draw event, a university art class, or a 1-on-1 arrangement, the IRL relationship between artist and model is alive and well these days, though it’s still usually more of a private affair. But on Wednesday, art models Najee and Ume will take to the Ace Hotel to pull back the curtain for all to see with the exhibition An Evening With Muses, which is based on a live drawing series they held at The Ace’s restaurant. On view will be work created in those live sessions, showcasing the many different ways that artist can represent muse. And to show you how it all happens, there will also be a live drawing presentation.