Chelsea and Soho are the Manhattan neighborhoods most associated with contemporary art, but Tribeca more than holds its own. Hal Bromm Gallery, the neighborhood’s first contemporary-art gallery, opened in 1975 and is still active today; the newest Tribeca gallery, Ortuzar Projects, is less than a year old. These and other galleries below prove that Tribeca was and remains a destination for lovers of au courant and cutting-edge art.
47 Walker Street (between Broadway and Church Street)
A painting by Stefan Kürten, the subject of an upcoming show at Alexander and Bonin. Image: Heidi De Vries/Flickr
Carolyn Alexander and Theodore Bonin founded their gallery in 1995, though it has been in its current location only for several years. Among the global contemporary artists the gallery represents are photographer/filmmaker Emily Jacir, a Hugo Boss Prize winner, whose exhibition “La Mia Mappa” is on display through October 27. “The Prettiest Star,” a solo show from another of the gallery’s artists, Stefan Kürten, opens November 2; Kürten is best known for his paintings of abandoned urban and suburban landscapes.
434 Greenwich Street (at Vestry Street)
Art Projects was founded in 1993 to spotlight contemporary artists from Asia, though today it represents artists from other parts of the world as well. Its roster includes Pouran Jinchi, whose works reference the calligraphy of her native Iran; Filipe Rocha da Silva, who creates large, finely detailed paintings and “wool drawings”; and Il Lee, whose bold explosions of ink on paper from the 1990s are the subject of a solo show running through October 27.
39 Walker Street (between Broadway and Church Street)
Located on the same block as Alexander and Bonin, this gallery also focuses on emerging and midcareer contemporary artists. “Tondi,” works by Daniel Buren made of steel, multicolored acrylic, and mirrors that at first glance resemble futuristic stained glass, runs through October 13. Other artists that the gallery represents include graphic designer, installation artist, and one-time art director of “i-D” magazine Scott King; Marina Rheingantz, whose landscapes straddle the line between minimalism and abstraction; and Ivan Morley, whose paintings often incorporate thread, leather, wax, and other materials.
90 West Broadway (between Warren and Chambers Streets)
A work by David Wojnarowicz, one of the subjects of “Desde New York” at Hal Bromm Gallery. Image: anokarina/Flickr
This landmark gallery has been around long enough to have exhibited works by Keith Haring, David Salle, and Robert Longo back when they were up-and-comers. Two artists who were unknowns when Hal Bromm first displayed their works are the subject of the gallery’s current show, “Desde New York: Luis Frangella/David Wojnarowicz,” on view through December 5.
373 Broadway, #207 (between Franklin and White Streets)
This petite gallery is beginning to make a big name for itself, thanks to a run of attention-grabbing exhibitions. Running through October 28, “Prepositions All the Way Down” by sculptor Kricket Lane examines the relationship between humans and canines with objects that incorporate the natural and the man-made. An exhibition of paintings by Daffy Scanlon and sculptures by Chiara Ibrah opens on November 10.
Nine White Street (between Church Street and West Broadway)
Works by Maruja Mallo are on display at Ortuzar Projects through November. Image: pixelsniper/Flickr
Founded just this year, Ortuzar Projects aims to expose American audiences to international artists, both living and dead, who are not yet known in this country but should be. The gallery’s inaugural exhibition was the first U.S. solo show of works by influential French painter Michel Parmentier. “Maruja Mallo: Paintings 1926-1952,” featuring early works by the Spanish avant-garde artist, is on display through November 17.
Nine North Moore Street (between West Broadway and Varick Street)
Though only a few years old, this gallery represents nearly 20 artists from around the globe, such as Czech sculptor Kristof Kintera, Turkish installation artist Mehmet Ali Uysal, and Faig Ahmed, whose works include weavings that play with the time-honored rug-making tradition of his native Azerbaijan. On display through November 10 is “A Street of Many Corners,” spotlighting sculptural wall pieces by Marela Zacarias that incorporate fabric, plaster, paint, and sometimes found objects.
45 Lispenard Street (between Church Street and West Broadway)
Performance artists and videographers, along with painters, sculptors, and photographers, are on the Untitled Space’s roster of artists; the gallery was founded by fellow artist Indira Cesarine. Zac Hacmon, whose most recent sculptures feature ceramic tiles, stainless-steel tubing, and other everyday materials; Kate Hush, whose medium is neon tubing; and painter Alexandra Rubenstein, whose paintings are dedicated to “crushing the patriarchy and having fun with it,” are among the artists represented.