A Mixed Bag: The Sci-Fi Edition

Jonas Pihl, Wormhole, 2009 (left side view). Acrylic on plastic. Courtesy of Black & White Gallery.

Chaosmosis: Black & White Gallery in Chelsea will exhibit new work by Danish artist Jonas Pihl, who draws upon sci-fi motifs and themes from popular culture. Opens Sept. 10.

Scent of Space: Astronauts aboard the International Space Station, say that spacecraft cuisine--a mix of American, Russian, Canadian, Japanese and European dishes--is good. However, it smells like more than food up there.

City Shifters: The rising popularity of urban fantasy in the U.S. has resulted in the sci-fi fantasy market's largest category shift within the last 10 years.

Moon Mythology: Vampires and werewolves are included in this laundry list of things linked to the full moon. Btw, don't miss the season finale of True Blood on Sept. 13.

Projecting Space: Rafael Vargas-Suarez's drawing installation at White Box consists of video feeds projected directly to earth from the helmet-cams of spacewalking astronauts on the International Space Station. (According to Artnet Magazine, the exhibition is still on view, but the White Box website says nothing of it.)

Martian Menu: A cooking show on the SyFy Channel? Sounds interesting, but not very appetizing.

From Apartheid to Prawns: I might be the only person on Earth that was not entertained by District 9. Though, I appreciated the moral of the story: "segregation hurts its architects as well as its victims."

Round Up: Hollywood's summer of sci-fi in review.

Whitey on the Moon: This exhibition at 106 Green in Williamsburg explores contemporary perceptions of the 1969 moon landing.

In the Nest: Artist Kyle Cassidy is photographing sci-fi writers in their creative spaces. A new favorite of mine, Samuel R. Delany, is included in the bunch.

Digital Feud: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have joined the Open Book Alliance, which was formed last month to rally opposition to the Google book settlement.

Back to the Future: The sci-fi film genre recently celebrated its 107th birthday--La voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) was released on Sept. 1, 1902.

Depth of Fields: Jonathan Jones links the forthcoming sci-fi film Avatar to the Arnolfini Portrait.

The Quick and the Dead: Writer Steven Stern suggests that this Walker Art Center exhibition is more indebted to sci-fi than art history.

Retrograde: Art Observed recommends the Glenn Brown retrospective currently on view at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Italy. Curated by Francesco Bonami and Laurence Sillars, the show comprises works that combine history and sci-fi.

The Future of Food: This website catalogs foodstuffs in sci-fi such as Space Beer and Sweet Wheat.

The Secret Diaries of Linda Schultz: Israeli artist and choreographer Keren Cytter is influenced by sci-fi, contemporary feminism and soap operas. Her dance company performs at The Kitchen in November.

Sci-Fi Saves Lives: iO9 lists 10 ways to rescue the climate, according to sci-fi.

Behind the Green Door: Don't miss the debut of Jayson Keeling’s video X at Henry Street Settlement. The artist will also show a selection of his glittery, fantastic and sci-fi-esque paintings. Opens Sept. 10.

Big Ups: The Hammer Museum gets props for their out-of-the-box Mexican sci-fi series this summer.

The Shuttle Has Landed: Remember the cute little astronauts in the opening credits of Reading Rainbow? They have sadly retired.

* My latest article "The Galaxy is Her Playground, or Just Beyond Reality's Edge"--a look at the work of Kira Lynn Harris through the lens of sci-fi and Afrofuturism--will appear in the November issue of Nka: Journal for Contemporary African Art.