Space is at a premium in Manhattan, and spiking rents in SoHo and Chelsea have squeezed out many artists over the last couple of decades. Next stop?
Brooklyn – and specifically the working-class neighborhood of Williamsburg, which has become one of New York’s most artistic districts thanks to its relatively inexpensive warehouses and lofts.
The progressive, friendly Momenta Art stands out as one of Williamsburg’s more experimental venues, with every medium imaginable, from video satires set in South America to baskets woven entirely out of one-dollar bills. Other shows have included Seher Shah’s Black Star Project, a portfolio of 25 prints that explore the geometry of the cube and its associations as an architectural element and religious symbol;
Elisabeth Kley’s ambitious drawings, ceramics, and video featuring extravagant personalities and architecture, from Salvador Dali to Coco Chanel; and Arnold von Wedemeyer’s unique video pieces, which have been known to present a vase of tulips withering or a slice of bread hardening. For those with an eye to buy, note that artwork here is generally far less expensive than in Manhattan galleries.