ArtBeat#3: 5 Must-See Art Exhibits from Around the World in NYC

Ai Weiwei, Colored Vases (photo: Cathy Carver) 

By Jacquelin Carnegie - (New York, NY) Like music, art is a universal language; to understand it, all you have to do is look. We're lucky in New York, because work by fascinating artists from around the world is always on view. Here's what's on tap, that shouldn't be missed, right now:
From China
1) Ai Weiwei: According to What? 
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY; Tel: 718/638-5000; Admission + special exhibit fee - Until Aug. 10, 2014
Ai Weiwei is a master at combining art with viewpoints on China. This exhibit highlights stunning, wooden sculptural pieces, pottery, photography, and striking, "statement" installations. It's always exciting to have an Ai Weiwei exhibit in New York. Walk slowly through the show, leaving time to savor each piece.

 Zhang Huan, Peace #2

Kan Yasuda, Kaze 

2) Zhang Huan: Evoking Tradition
Storm King Art Center
Old Pleasant Hill Rd., Mountainville, NY; Tel: 845/534-3115; Open: April-November, admission fee
This year at Storm King, a stunning open-air museum in New York's Hudson Valley, the focus is on large-scale installations and sculptures by Zhang Huan, who acknowledges Ai Weiwei's influence on his work when he started out as a young, performance artist in China.
From Japan
3) Kan Yasuda Eykyn Maclean Gallery
23 East 67th St., 2nd fl.; Tel: 212/772-9425; - Until June 27, 2014
It is hard to believe that this is the first US exhibition for the oh-so-talented Japanese sculptor Kan Yasuda. For the past 40 years, Yasuda has split his time between Hokkaido, Japan and Pietrasanta, Italy, resulting in work that blends Eastern and Western sensibilities. There are some 20 new sculptures in the show with such inviting shapes and surfaces you'll want to reach out and touch each one. Looking at these pieces--mostly marble and some bronze--is like being transported to a tranquil, secret garden in one's mind.

Aladdin Garunov, Total Prayer

From The Russian Republic of Dagestan
4) Aladdin Garunov: Selected Works, 1998-2013
Gallery SHCHUKIN
524 West 19th St.; Tel: 212/929-7222 - Until June 30, 2014
Twice on the shortlist for the prestigious Kandinsky Prize, Aladdin Garunov comes from Dagestan, a Muslim country in the turbulent North Caucasus. This work reflects his origins and the region's conflicts. Iconic Islamic images of prayer rugs and Arabic calligraphy are used in both humorous and poignant ways. Curated by Matthew Drutt, Garunov's first solo US show opens this new space for Gallery Shchukin, known for introducing contemporary Russian and cutting-edge, international artists to audiences worldwide.
From Around the World

Zola (photo: Jaime Rojo) 

5) Street Art by Various Artists
Brooklyn Street Art
Not so long ago, all street art was considered "graffiti," something that needed to be washed away or painted over. Attitudes have come a long way, baby! Through their BSA site, the dynamic duo of Steven Harrington and Jaime Rojo highlights street art, graffiti, murals, and public art in more than 100 cities around the world--not just New York. By tracking this constantly evolving art form, they keep an eye on developing trends in the street, showing how street art affects popular culture and the art world in general.

Creative Growth, Dan Miller

A Fair Share of Art Fairs: 
May 8-11, 2014
PULSE The Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th St.; Check out Zemack Contemporary Art from Tel Aviv, Israel. (Booth#C11)
Outsider Art Fair Center 548, 548 West 22nd St.; Check out Creative Growth from Oakland, CA. (Booth#301)

Collective 2 Design Fair Skylight at Moynihan Station, 360 West 33rd St.;
Check out Joseph Walsh Studio from Ireland at Todd Merrill's booth.