27/05-NY14 transforming districts

Another friday here in NY, visited DUMBO with HK, but discovered the Smack Mellon is closed, I have simply mistaken it as THE dumbo arts center, which has a weak show, but among the galleries in this redeveloping district, is the part 2 of the MFA show from Brooklyn COllege of Art, which stirred some news earlier as some work has been removed by the Park authority for sensitive content. Then we headed back to White Columns, a space that I haven't visited last time, and wrongly marked (again!) in the gallery guide's map. The show is strange for it is of photo of photos and captions taken from a vietnam museum on the war with US. It is like transporting (or stealing) the exhibition back. it echoes though with one room at the back, though I question what self-therapy art could provide that it keeps repeating that's what the man (artist) did through his work, building doll house of solders in his backyard. The Meat packing district at the west end of the street we are both staying has really start turning into another SOHO district with some huge galleries, one with a bkshelf at a corner where one could browse, and there I have a glimpse at the Aperto 93 catalogue etc. rare bks. The last galleries we visited, one is of milan design (with the gallery surely connected with the Italian council), and another one of all Japanese staffs (turn out to be a gallery supported by a jap fashion brand). Afetr spliting for late lunch (me at home, HK at the Chelsea market), I went to the ICP for Enzewor curated Snap judgment of African photography, the curatorial statement complains about the negative image the mainstream press has in presenting Africa, but many of the works finally tends towards the same issues, or perhaps the aftermath of them, which isn't really very different, the ones that really different, are perhaps those working for the western mainstream, like fashion photography, how irony?
Then moved on to Whitney, just for the videos that could not see in full last time.
more on them or W.Biennial later.