One of the more fascinating developments in contemporary art over the past 10 or 15 has been rise of a new, far-flung class of artists from China, India, Latin America and the Middle East. Though obviously varied, these artists all use techniques borrowed from the Conceptual and Minimal Art which first emerged in the United States and Europe during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and thus, their work does share certain characteristics: It tends to take the form of very large and dramatic installations, often created with found or recycled objects. Photography, video and film are likewise often incorporated. More to the point, while the work appears to be Western on the surface, it is rooted in the artist’s particular culture of origin, and usually mixes biography with larger historical or social referents. This work, in other words, represents the first art movement that is the direct result of globalism, and not surprisingly, these artists have become a staple of international art fairs and surveys like the Venice Biennale. Adel Abdessemed, whose show “Rio” is currently on view through May 9 at David Zwirner gallery in Chelsea, is a good example.

Abdessemed, who was born in Algeria in 1971, is ethnically a Berber. He left his country in 1994 for France shortly after the start of a decade-long period of political upheaval precipitated by the Algerian military when it canceled elections won by the Islamist party in 1992. Recently resettled in New York, Abdessemed continues to spend part of his time in Paris, and his work could be easily interpreted as an allegory of his peripatetic life. Telle mère tel fils (which translates as “Like Mother Like Son”), for instance, was created out of the nose and tails sections of three commuter airliners; connected by a tunnel made of white felt, the piece twists and turns like a giant serpent. read more

If you think music—particularly pop and rock, but classical as well to a lesser extent—is just about sound and image doesn’t come into play, I have news for you. Everything involves image, and when performers try to look as plain as possible, well, that’s image too. I’m always amused by purists who claim that for them, “It’s all about the music, man.” It so rarely is. Just look at Paul McCartney, the subject of this week’s program Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road. For his entire career, Macca, as he’s known to fans and detractors alike, has had a reputation for making mild music. The rocker and rabblerouser of the Beatles was John Lennon; McCartney wrote the pretty songs your mother would enjoy. But this is partly mythical (it was Lennon who wrote “Imagine” and McCartney who was behind “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” for instance) and a lot has to do with Macca’s image, that of a man contentedly married for years—and not to a “wacky” Japanese performance artist, either. read more

Martha Rosler’s concise show at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, Great Power, encapsulates the weird state of our country, facing extremes of peace and war, prosperity and poverty. The most powerful element confronts the visitor straight away: a Dance Dance Revolution machine sits across from the gallery’s entrance, which is accessed by a 25¢ turnstile. Take your choice: escapism or reality. (You must pay, but the money goes to charity. Although I saw one guy jump the turnstile.)

In a series of photomontages, battle scenes from Iraq and Afghanistan are layered with chic fashion models. read more