New York City and Upstate Shows to See Right Now

At a moment when it’s crucial to connect the dots of history to see how we can change the future for the better, it’s heartening to know that artists are doing the work. Through linguistic systems and pop cultural references, Renée Green and Jim Shaw uncover the ways that United States history is manipulated to veil systemic and government abuses. Meanwhile, a show at Brooklyn’s Amant looks at the failings and potential of education in the US. It’s a lot to take in, but you’ll be glad you did (and Green’s show, at Dia Beacon, is a good excuse for a summertime day trip). While you’re out and about, check out multimedia artist Tim Hawkinson’s intimate turn to painting. And Gladstone 64’s exhibition of gorgeous color drawings by the late Czech artist Anna Zemánková, ending this weekend, is well worth a look. —Natalie Haddad, Reviews Editor

Jim Shaw: Drawings

Gagosian, 821 Park Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Through June 14

Jim Shaw, “Study for ‘The Bridge’” (2020), pencil on paper (photo Zach Reich/*Hyperallergic*)

“For more than 30 years, the LA-based artist has articulated the intertwined demons of US politics and mainstream culture, starting with the White suburban fantasies of the 1950s.” —NH

Read the full review here.

Tim Hawkinson: Cabinet Pictures

Miles McEnery Gallery, 520 West 21st Street, Chelsea, Manhattan
Through June 21

Tim Hawkinson, “Mom at Sutter’s Fort” (2014–21), oil on panel (courtesy the artist and Miles McEnery Gallery)

“The paintings are not about appearances, but about depths at which the images only hint.” —John Yau

Read the full review here.

On Education

Amant, 315 Maujer Street, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Through August 17

“While On Education doesn’t seek to condemn the system entirely, it both examines its violence and seems to propose alternative models by way of the art object.” —Monica Uszerowicz

Read the full review here.

Renée Green: The Equator Has Moved

Dia Art Foundation, 3 Beekman Street, Beacon, New York
Through August 31, 2026

“Since the late 1980s, she has combined text, images, and objects to orchestrate a distinct style of visual poetics that is grounded in language while simultaneously rewiring it.” —Taliesin Thomas

Read the full review here.