Stories the City Tells Itself: The Video Art and Photography of Neil Goldberg

Stories the City Tells Itself: The Video Art and Photography of Neil Goldberg is the first-ever exhibition of contemporary video art at the Museum of the City of New York. The exhibition presents nine video artworks and three photographic projects that capture the unexpected power and resonance of everyday moments in New York City. Working at the intersection of New Yorkers' personal and collective experiences, Goldberg stitches together images of people emerging from subway stations in Surfacing (2010-2011) and choosing what to eat in Salad Bar (2006), while Ten Minutes with X02180-A (2006) focuses on a single lilac bush in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and the way passers-by interact with it.

Goldberg’s videos and photographs direct the viewer’s attention to activities that are usually experienced only fleetingly. Taken together, this work produce a sweeping, dynamic, and generous portrait of the city and its people, leading Time Out New York to write "Goldberg has produced some of the most quietly intense and affecting art of his generation."

Neil Goldberg (b. 1963) has exhibited his work internationally since 1992 at such institutions as the Museum of Modern Art, where it is part of the permanent collection, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, among others. Goldberg is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the Experimental Television Center.

Featured image: Grid of stills from 19 Rainstorms, 1998-2003
19 Channel Video Installation
Courtesy of Neil Goldberg