A Greenpoint museum is displaying artwork from Yoko Ono, along with two other famed artists, that aims to tackle the “complexities of the world” and provoke feelings of acceptance and unity.
Along with Ono, the “Embrace the World from Within” exhibit at Faurschou on Green Street houses work from Canadian performance artist and sculptor Miles Greenberg, as well as sculptor Louise Bourgeois.
The three artists have their distinct styles, but the merging of the trio’s work at the private museum manages to create a coherent display that art lovers will surely adore.
Ono, Japanese multimedia artist, musician, and peace activist, who was once married to the late Beatle John Lennon, has two sculptures at the gallery — entitled “Ex It” and “We Are All Water.”
The latter of Ono’s installations is made up of a row of identical glass bottles of water, each labeled with the name of a famous person, and aims to use the uniformity of the bottles to point at human similarities.
A second piece lets visitors walk through rows of growing trees growing out of wooden disaster relief caskets, contrasting the concepts of life and death.
“Yoko Ono is known for her ability to take on the complexities of the world through her art, which engages the viewer and lets them reflect upon their world,” Faurschou’s team explains of her installations.
Greenberg, meanwhile, aims to tackle the overwhelming and uncontrollable sensations of the boys in his work. A projection of Greenberg’s performance, “The Embrace,” is the first thing visitors encounter at Faurschou’s first gallery.
“I have this obsession with short-lived sensations in the body: a panic attack, an orgasm, ecstasy, agony, hyper-real, hyper-powered sensations that put us in a state of fight or flight or kind of awaken our instincts,” said Greenberg in a video introducing his work. “I am really interested in what happens when we overwrite those kill switches in our body to see what lies behind them.”
A third gallery, displaying Bourgeois’s work, offers a complete contrast. Multiple pieces stand against black walls at different eye-levels and each offers different aspects from different perspectives.
“I transform nasty work into good work,” said the artist in an interview. “I transform hatred into love. That’s what makes me tick.”
“Embrace the World from Within” at Faurschou. 148 Green St. in Greenpoint. (347) 916-1238. faurschou.com. Free. Wednesday-Sunday from noon-7 p.m. Exhibit lasts until Sept. 17.
