NYC May Art Guide: Met Gala Protests, Conductor Fair, and Monument to Little Syria

Hyperallergic's May guide for New York City highlights a packed art calendar, contrasting the Met Gala's glamour with protests against wealth inequality. The Met Gala, themed 'Costume Art,' drew demonstrations and boycott messages targeting Jeff Bezos. Key exhibitions include Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Seydou Keïta, and Renée Green. A historic monument honoring New York's first Arabic-speaking community, 'Little Syria,' was unveiled by Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij. Reviews cover Marcel Duchamp at MoMA, Édouard Glissant at the Center for Art, Research and Alliances, and Christopher Payne at Cooper Hewitt. Conductor, an art fair for the 'global majority,' debuted in Brooklyn. Tania Bruguera performed 'Tatlin's Whisper #6' in Times Square. The first US survey of Teresa Margolles is coming to MoMA PS1 this fall. Other events include the ICP Photobook Fest (May 8–10), a web archiving workshop at CUNY Hunter College, film screenings at Metrograph, the Black Zine Fair at Powerhouse Arts, and sunset meditation at Socrates Sculpture Park.