Welcome to Close Looks: a semi-regular column from our critics. This series of long-form reviews dives into buzzy and under-the-radar shows alike, revealing the trends, ideas, and controversies that shape what’s happening—and what’s to come—in the art world. For this installment, CULTURED’s Co-Chief Art Critic, John Vincler, examines an energetic—and ecologically-minded—show at the Swiss Institute.
“Energies” through January 5, 2025
Swiss Institute | 38 St. Marks Place
Don’t do what I did. I slipped into the East Village courtyard at 519 East 11th Street, having caught the gate before it latched, after a postal worker exited. I wanted a closer look at a mural within by the Antwerp-based Nigerian artist Otobong Nkanga, as it’s barely visible from the street. The wall-spanning painting centers upon a woman tangled in gnarled wires, as another woman stands nearby, unencumbered, except for the child she accompanies. The diagrammatic composition, which unfurls across the wall like a scroll, charts interconnections between factories, agriculture, and urban living. Turning to exit, I found myself trapped in the courtyard, without a latch or handle on the yard side of the gate. So, I climbed a ledge to hop the wrought iron and brick fence, and then dodged the suspicious looks as I landed back on East 11th.
