An untitled work by Toba Khedoori, dated 2020.
An untitled work by Toba Khedoori, dated 2020.

20/20

David Zwirner is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by artists from the gallery’s program at our 537 West 20th Street location in New York.

The world has never faced such uncertainty: everything from our understanding of public health and racial injustice to our geopolitical order and our social and environmental responsibilities is being challenged and rethought. 2020 may go down as the watershed year when the deck was reshuffled; and while we don’t know the future, our minds are busy speculating, anxiously rethinking and looking for a vision beyond.


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Image: Toba Khedoori, Untitled, 2020 (detail)

 

The galleries are open to the public with a limited number of visitors allowed into the exhibition spaces at a time, in accordance with city guidelines.

To schedule your visit, please click here.

To learn more about the enhanced safety measures currently in place at this location and others, please click here.

I find it so lamentable,
The alarming, unwonted ordeal that has come upon us.
O demons of unwonted fate.
We will stand and face you.  
We will stand and face you.
Through my art I go on manifesting, with all my heart, my reverence and
love for the cosmos, the world, and all humanity.
Our aspiration for a resplendent future begins with this.
Our resplendent hope is sure to be fulfilled.

—Yayoi Kusama, 2020

Placeholder image.

Installation view featuring Barbara Kruger, Untitled, 2020, in 20/20, David Zwirner, New York, 2020

Installation view featuring Barbara Kruger, Untitled, 2020, in 20/20, David Zwirner, New York, 2020

A painting by Yayoi Kusama, titled I WHO SLEEP IN A ILLUSION WORLD, dated 2020.

Yayoi Kusama

I WHO SLEEP IN A ILLUSION WORLD, 2020
Acrylic on canvas
39 3/8 x 39 3/8 inches
100 x 100 cm

I WHO SLEEP IN A ILLUSION WORLD (2020) belongs to Kusama's ongoing series of My Eternal Soul paintings, begun in 2009. These compositions embody a highly personal, even confessional dimension for the artist. Vibrant, animated, and intense, they explore line and form and are at once abstract and figurative. Their use of minute details and repetition—in terms of both shapes and brushwork—reflects the history of obsession within Kusama's work, which derives from her desire for art that is at once autobiographical and seemingly created outside of the confines of the self.

A detail from a work by Chris Ofili, titled Satyr and Selkie 1, dated  2020.

Chris Ofili, Satyr and Selkie 1, 2020 (detail)

Chris Ofili, Satyr and Selkie 1, 2020 (detail)

A painting by Chris Ofili, titled Satyr and Selkie 1, dated 2020.

Chris Ofili

Satyr and Selkie 1, 2020
Oil, charcoal, and gold leaf on linen
62 x 38 inches
157.5 x 96.5 cm

"Its subject, with combo of a found-photograph and a chance connecton-of-pose with Rodin’s Small Dancers, was the direct outcome of extra, (and rambling), web-view-time since ‘isolation’.”

—Rose Wylie on Highschool Cheerleaders, 2020

A painting by Rose Wylie, titled Highschool Cheerleaders, dated 2020.

Rose Wylie, Highschool Cheerleaders, 2020

Rose Wylie, Highschool Cheerleaders, 2020

A work by Nate Lowman, dated 2020.
Nate Lowman, Basic Trajectories, 2020
Nate Lowman, Basic Trajectories, 2020

Basic Trajectories belongs to a series of “Map” paintings that reflect Nate Lowman’s fascination with the representation of America. “My goal is to dislodge the illusion that the country we live in is a fixed thing,” he explains. “The country is not fixed. Borders are in flux. The way it is now is not even how it should be.”

“Memory, death, the human condition, and the absurdity and irony of life are all inspirations for the artist. Her work is ripe with emotion and contradictions—pathos and humor, melancholy and hope, raw and refined, hard and soft, aggressive and tender. It’s at times vulgar and political, poignant and wry, exotic and familiar.”

—Ali Subotnick, “Essay” for Hammer Projects: Andra Ursuta, 2014

A sculpture by Andra Ursuta, titled Succubustin' Loose, dated 2020.

Andra Ursuţa

Succubustin' Loose, 2020
Lead crystal
44 1/2 x 19 1/2 x 12 inches
113 x 49.5 x 30.5 cm

Michaël Borremans

Study for Bird, 2020
Oil on linen
14 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches
36.2 x 29.8 cm

“Borremans strives for the timeless and universal, yet does so in sharply framed, hybrid images of today. He often reaches for a world of isolation, even for characters who are literally tied up in the fabric of their costumes, as Borremans elicited earlier this year: 'I now realize that I have made many corona works in the past.'”

—Geert Van der Speeten, De Standaard, 2020

a detail from a painting by Oscar Murillo, titled (untitled) catalyst, dated 2019.

Oscar Murillo, (untitled) catalyst, 2019 (detail)

Oscar Murillo, (untitled) catalyst, 2019 (detail)

“This year has been tremendously radical in shifting and shaking production or ways of working. I think for me on a personal basis... it has grounded that reality and existence to a beautiful effect. It has enriched several bodies of work... and also has offered a different perspective as far as what painting can mean symbolically from a political perspective.’’

—Oscar Murillo, 2020

Asked how the events of 2020 influenced the present work, which was done during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Raymond Pettibon replied, “B n' W means black and white, there is no color in it.’’

A work by Raymond Pettibon, titled No Title (Bn'W Express. Th' ...), dated 2020.
Raymond Pettibon, No Title (B n' W Express. Th' ...), 2020
Raymond Pettibon, No Title (B n' W Express. Th' ...), 2020

The Couple depicts two nude figures standing in front of an ominous, cresting wave, which serves as a formal device that frames the pair—relief-like—in a moment in time before the looming threat crashes down. At the bottom of the composition, the growing wave has pulled back the water from shore, revealing tiny crabs—rendered as dashes of bright red paint. They scurry humorously (some holding signboards and drink umbrellas) at the figures' feet, as if carrying foretold knowledge of the impending disaster. Schutz's layered and expressive use of paint builds the figures into organic, volumetric forms that appear sculptural. The image points to varied references: the pair can be seen as Adam and Eve being expelled from the garden of Eden, or enacting a reversal of  the motif of “Death and the Maiden,’’ while the bright yellow sun shown above the wave recalls annunciation scenes. However, Schutz's depiction of the setting and the figures remains open-ended, alluding at once to an unformed past and an unknown future.

A painting by Luc Tuymans, titled The Queen's Room, dated 2020.

Luc Tuymans

The Queen's Room, 2020
Oil on linen
72 1/2 x 44 1/2 inches
184.2 x 113 cm

“This picture is relevant for me right now since it shows an indoor space and because the poor lighting [of] the stacked-up pillows nearly assumes a presumed presence in the room. Echoing childhood memories of fear due to the indecipherability of an image propelling the idea of uncertainty and a possible threat.’’

—Luc Tuymans, 2020

A detail from a work by  Luc Tuymans, titled The Queen's Room, dated 2020.

Luc Tuymans, The Queen's Room, 2020 (detail)

Luc Tuymans, The Queen's Room, 2020 (detail)

Untitled (Tepoztlán, Abril 2020) is a stark reminder of how the pandemic has impacted people everywhere. Executed on a small scale, this work plays on the historical genre of travel paintings, offering poignant commentary on the function of art during times of crisis. Alÿs, who was sheltering in place in Tepoztlán during the pandemic, painted the scene on a fraying piece of Mexican bandana, grounding it in the objects and materials of everyday life.

A photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans, titled Escape into Space, dated 2020.

Wolfgang Tillmans

Escape into Space, 2020
Inkjet print on paper, clips
81 3/8 x 54 3/8 inches
206.7 x 138 cm

Edition of 1, 1 AP

“I don’t experience portraits as separate from still lifes. Now I look at you and I see a portrait, now I look over there and I see a landscape. If I look over here I see a still life…. Everything has a potential to be extraordinary. That transformation of living in the moment, and then translating that into something of a larger meaning is not just talking about a specific moment or a specific item, but more generally about a human experience, that ideally can be shared by others and felt by others.’’

—Wolfgang Tillmans, “New Interview with Wolfgang Tillmans in His Studio in Berlin,’’ in Wolfgang Tillmans, 2014

“When I get too weary of people not listening to each other or screaming at each other too easily, I may lose control and allow elements from our collective environment–such as megaphones–to find their way onto the canvas. My painting Die Beruhigung is ultimately dedicated to the destruction and dismantling of such megaphones. The forest serves as an antithesis to the urban political turmoil, and also forms the framework for the strange procedures and the determination with which the subjects in this painting are at work. It gives me reason for hope.”

—Neo Rauch, 2020

“I've been at this for too long, know too much, have seen and witnessed so many things in the world, that what I strive for is much too important to be sidetracked by the fleeting sensations of a moment.”

—Kerry James Marshall, 2020

A painting by Kerry James Marshall titled Black and Part-Black, Birds in America, dated 2020.

Kerry James Marshall

Black and part Black Birds in America: (Crow, Goldfinch), 2020
Acrylic on PVC panel in artist's frame
27 7/8 x 24 3/4 inches (71 x 63 cm)

The intricate folds and turns of steel in Meteor operate in tension with its perceived lightness, exemplifying what Bove imagines as “A mirror effect on perception, where the material's plasticity acts on the imagination. What we know about the material is contradicted, so maybe our grip on reality should be a little lighter, too, enabling us to see what is in front of us rather than what we think we see.”

Architecture is a recurring theme in Toba Khedoori’s work. Featuring deeply worked depth and perspective, Untitled is based on a photograph of war-torn eastern Ghouta in Syria and depicts a succession of buildings with partially collapsed structures.The destruction depicted here can be traced to the lexicon of images Khedoori established in her earliest mature works, including explosions, fragments, and sinking ships. As Lane Relyea explains, “Khedoori's art isn't displaced from history; rather it participates in a history itself marked by displacements.”

To inquire about works in this exhibition

An untitled installation by Barbara Kruger, dated 2020.

Barbara Kruger

Untitled, 2020
Digital print on vinyl
Desk: 50 x 147 inches
127 x 373.4 cm
Large wall: 148 1/2 x 209 inches
377.2 x 530.9 cm
Entry wall: 149 1/4 x 112 3/4 inches
379.1 x 286.4 cm
West wall: 71 x 129 inches
180.3 x 327.7 cm
North wall: 91 1/2 x 128 1/2 inches
232.4 x 326.4 cm
Overall dimensions vary with installation
A work on paper by Raymond Pettibon, titled No Title (Mao S. Friedman.), dated 2019.

Raymond Pettibon

No Title (Mao S. Friedman.), 2019
Ink and acrylic on paper
41 x 26 inches
104.1 x 66 cm
Framed: 45 1/4 x 29 1/2 inches
114.9 x 74.9 cm
A drawing by Richard Serra, titled Deadweight I ("The Drowned and the Saved"), dated 1991.

Richard Serra

Deadweight I ("The Drowned and the Saved"), 1991
Paintstick on paper

Framed: 154 1/2 x 79 inches
392.4 x 200.7 cm

A work on paper by Raymond Pettibon, titled No Title (Bn'W Express. Th' ...), dated 2020.

Raymond Pettibon

No Title (B n' W Express. Th' ...)

, 2020
Ink and acrylic on paper
59 1/4 x 113 inches
150.5 x 287 cm
Framed: 63 1/2 x 117 1/2 inches
161.3 x 298.4 cm
An oil painting on linen by Lisa Yuskavage, titled Scissor Sisters, dated 2020.

Lisa Yuskavage

Scissor Sisters, 2020

Oil on linen

77 1/8 x 70 1/4 inches
195.9 x 178.4 cm

A painting by Dana Schutz, titled The Couple, dated 2020.

Dana Schutz

The Couple, 2020
Oil on canvas
88 1/4 x 84 inches
224.2 x 213.4 cm
An untitled painting by Toba Khedoori, dated 2020.

Toba Khedoori

Untitled, 2020
Oil on canvas
27 1/2 x 63 inches
69.9 x 160 cm
A sculpture by Carol Bove, titled Meteor, dated 2020.

Carol Bove

Meteor, 2020
Stainless steel and urethane paint
63 x 42 1/4 x 57 inches
160 x 107.3 x 144.8 cm
A painting by Kerry James Marshall titled Black and Part-Black, Birds in America, dated 2020.

Kerry James Marshall

Black and part Black Birds in America: (Crow, Goldfinch), 2020
Acrylic on PVC panel in artist's frame
27 7/8 x 24 3/4 inches (71 x 63 cm)
A painting by Kerry James Marshall, titled Black and part Black Birds in America: (Grackle, Cardinal & Rose-breasted Grosbeak), dated 2020.

Kerry James Marshall

Black and part Black Birds in America: (Grackle, Cardinal & Rose-breasted Grosbeak), 2020
Acrylic on PVC panel in artist's frame
36 1/2 x 32 1/2 inches
92.7 x 82.6 cm
A painting by Nate Lowman, dated 2020.

Nate Lowman

Basic Trajectories, 2020

Oil, latex, acrylic, flashe, silkscreen ink, and nylon thread on canvas

49 x 77 1/2 inches
124.5 x 196.9 cm
A painting by Francis Alys, titled Untitled (Tepoztlán, Abril 2020), dated 2020.

Francis Alÿs

Untitled (Tepoztlán, Abril 2020), 2020
Oil on cloth on linen
12 x 6 1/2 inches
30.5 x 16.5 cm
A painting by Luc Tuymans, titled The Queen's Room, dated 2020.

Luc Tuymans

The Queen's Room, 2020
Oil on linen
72 1/2 x 44 1/2 inches
184.2 x 113 cm
A photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans, titled Escape into Space, dated 2020.

Wolfgang Tillmans

Escape into Space, 2020
Inkjet print on paper, clips
81 3/8 x 54 3/8 inches
206.7 x 138 cm

Edition of 1, 1 AP

A painting by Oscar Murillo, titled (untitled) catalyst, dated 2019.

Oscar Murillo

(untitled) catalyst, 2019
Oil and graphite on canvas
96 1/2 x 76 3/4 inches
245 x 195 cm
A painting by Chris Ofili, titled Satyr and Selkie 1, dated 2020.

Chris Ofili

Satyr and Selkie 1, 2020
Oil, charcoal, and gold leaf on linen
62 x 38 inches
157.5 x 96.5 cm
A sculpture by Shio Kusaka, titled (bisque 1), dated 2020.

Shio Kusaka

(bisque 1), 2020
Stoneware in three (3) parts

Overall dimensions variable
Part 1: 18 x 16 3/4 x 16 3/4 inches
45.7 x 42.5 x 42.5 cm
Part 2: 33 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches
85.1 x 29.2 x 29.2 cm
Part 3: 30 x 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches
76.2 x 31.8 x 31.8 cm

A sculpture by Shio Kusaka, titled (line 126), dated 2020.

Shio Kusaka

(line 126), 2020
Stoneware, epoxy, and gold pen
36 1/4 x 20 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches
92.1 x 52.1 x 52.1 cm
A sculpture by Shio Kusaka, titled (square 44), dated 2020.

Shio Kusaka

(square 44), 2020
Porcelain
5 3/4 x 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches
14.6 x 13.3 x 13.3 cm
A sculpture by Shio Kusaka, titled (grid 171), dated 2020.

Shio Kusaka

(grid 171), 2020
Porcelain
7 3/4 x 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches
19.7 x 14 x 14 cm
A sculpture by Shio Kusaka, titled (grid 172), dated 2020.

Shio Kusaka

(grid 172), 2020
Porcelain
5 5/8 x 4 3/8 x 4 3/8 inches
14.3 x 11.1 x 11.1 cm
A sculpture by Shio Kusaka, titled (carved 145), dated 2020.

Shio Kusaka

(carved 145), 2020
Porcelain
3 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches
8.3 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm
A sculpture by Shio Kusaka, titled Group 56, dated 2020.

Shio Kusaka

group 56, 2020
Porcelain in two (2) parts
Part one: 3 1/2 x 1 3/4 x 1 inches
8.9 x 4.4 x 2.5 cm
Part two: 1 3/4 x 3 x 3/4 inches
4.4 x 7.6 x 1.9 cm
Overall dimensions variable
A sculpture by Shio Kusaka, titled (line 127), dated 2020.

Shio Kusaka

(line 127), 2020
Porcelain
5 x 4 x 4 inches
12.7 x 10.2 x 10.2 cm
A painting by Rose Wylie, titled Highschool Cheerleaders, dated 2020.

Rose Wylie

Highschool Cheerleaders, 2020
Oil on canvas in two (2) parts

Left canvas: 72 1/4 x 63 5/8 inches
183.5 x 161.5 cm
Right canvas: 72 1/4 x 63 7/8 inches
183.5 x 162.5 cm
Overall: 72 1/4 x 128 inches
183.5 x 325.1 cm

A sculpture by Andra Ursuta, titled Succubustin' Loose, dated 2020.

Andra Ursuţa

Succubustin' Loose, 2020
Lead crystal
44 1/2 x 19 1/2 x 12 inches
113 x 49.5 x 30.5 cm
A painting by Neo Rauch, titled Die Beruhigung, dated 2020.

Neo Rauch

Die Beruhigung, 2020
Oil on linen
78 3/4 x 98 3/8 inches
200 x 250 cm
Framed: 81 x 100 1/2 inches
205.7 x 255.3 cm

Michaël Borremans

Study for Bird, 2020
Oil on linen
14 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches
36.2 x 29.8 cm
A painting by Yayoi Kusama, titled BEAUTIFUL SPROUTING OF THE DAY I WAS ALIVE, dated 2020.

Yayoi Kusama

BEAUTIFUL SPROUTING OF THE DAY I WAS ALIVE, 2020
Acrylic on canvas
39 3/8 x 39 3/8 inches
100 x 100 cm
A painting by Yayoi Kusama, titled CLOUD'S MUTTER THAT I LOVED, dated 2020.

Yayoi Kusama

CLOUD'S MUTTER THAT I LOVED, 2020
Acrylic on canvas
39 3/8 x 39 3/8 inches
100 x 100 cm
A painting by Yayoi Kusama, titled I WHO SLEEP IN A ILLUSION WORLD, dated 2020.

Yayoi Kusama

I WHO SLEEP IN A ILLUSION WORLD, 2020
Acrylic on canvas
39 3/8 x 39 3/8 inches
100 x 100 cm
A painting by Yayoi Kusama, titled MY LOVE, SPROUT ENDLESSLY, dated 2020.

Yayoi Kusama

MY LOVE, SPROUT ENDLESSLY, 2020
Acrylic on canvas
39 3/8 x 39 3/8 inches
100 x 100 cm

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