O-1 Visas
For a talisman to work, you’ve got to believe. But in what? My faith lies in art, so its supernatural properties usually agree to do the trick for me. Talisman, a multigenerational group show curated by Hindley Wang and currently on view at YveYANG in Manhattan, gathers a selection of two- and three-dimensional works, each as inscrutable as a cat. Naturally multiple felines present, including a bronze and silver “Minou” by Kiki Smith and a dark silhouette on jute by Anna-Maria Skroba, both eerily life-size. A ceramic tower and pair of reliefs by Heidi Lau could have been removed directly from a grotto. Pastel palimpsests by Alastair MacKinven beg to be deciphered, their powers released. A few elders are included in the mix, including a pair of incantatory ink scribblings by the late Martin Wong. Patina only increases the magic.
—Lori Waxman 2026-01-21 4:14 PM