Johanson’s Untitled 2008   (Photo: Courtesy of Deitch Projects )

20. “Chris Johanson: Totalities”
At Deitch Projects, Sept. 4–Oct. 18.
One of the original Bay Area “Beautiful Losers” builds an immersive recycled-wood “living installation,” complete with a space temple and paintings.

Anger’s Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome. 1954-66   (Photo: Courtesy of P.S.1 )

21. “Kenneth Anger”
At P.S. 1, Oct. 19–Jan. 26.
Three more decades of hallucinogenic work from the irascible, octogenarian avant-garde filmmaker who remixes icons like Mickey Mouse.

Zaha Hadid’s Mobile Art Container.   (Photo: Danielle Venturelli/WireImage )

22. “The Mobile Art Chanel Contemporary Art Container”
At Rumsey Playfield, Oct. 20– Nov. 9. Reservations required, at chanel-mobileart.com.
The superstar architect Zaha Hadid’s fashion-art-branding mother ship, quilted like a handbag and loaded with commissions by top artists, lands in Central Park.

Hendrick’s Sweet Thang (Lynn Jenkins). 1975-1976   (Photo: Courtesy of Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and the Studio Museum in Harlem)

23. “Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool”
At the Studio Museum in Harlem, Nov. 12– Mar. 15.
Forty years of forthright portraits of African-Americans by one of the foremost realists of his generation.

Rendering for Pulse Park.   (Photo: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer/Courtesy of the Madison Square Park Conservancy )

24. “Pulse Park”
In Madison Square Park, Oct. 24–Nov. 17.
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s 200 ground-level spotlights beat in tandem with the hearts of passersby. If the lights start to flutter, drop that Shake Shack burger and get to the ER, stat.

Untitled work in progress   (Photo: Cindy Sherman/Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures )

25. “Cindy Sherman”
At Metro Pictures, Nov. 14–Dec. 20.
The usually provocative self-portraitist dresses up anew.

Point and Shoot. 2008   (Photo: Martha Rosler/ Courtesy of Mitchell-Innes & Nash )

26. “Martha Rosler: Great Power” and “William Pope.L: October Projects”
At Mitchell Innes and Nash, Sept. 6–Oct. 11 (Rosler) and Sept. 18–Oct. 24 (Pope.L).
Two separate shows of two incorrigible political goads; Rosler offers up more pre-Photoshop collages of beautiful people in evil situations, while Pope.L selects among hundreds of his back-of-the-napkin “Failure Drawings.”

Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. 1889   (Photo: Courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art )

27. “Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night”
At the Museum of Modern Art, Sept. 21–Jan. 5.
The master’s night scenes and gaslit cafés. Plan to go early in the day, because it’s going to be mobbed.

Sandinistas at the Walls of the Esteli National Guard Headquarters. Esteli, Nicaragua. 1979   (Photo: Susan Meiselas/Magnum/Courtesy of ICP )

28. “Susan Meiselas: In History”
At the International Center of Photography, Sept. 19–Jan. 4.
The Magnum photographer who took bracing images of the conflicts in Nicaragua and El Salvador—as well as some of strippers and S&M clubs here at home—gets her retrospective.

Arad’s Thumbprint. 2007   (Photo: Courtesy of Friedman Benda )

29. “Ron Arad”
At Friedman Benda, Nov. 7–Dec. 20; and Lever House, Dec. 11–Feb. 7.
Uncomfortable, sinuous steel chairs from the postmodern master of metal.

Rondinone Sculpture.    (Photo: Courtesy of Ugo Rondinone and Eva Presenhuber Galerie. )

30. “Martin Boyce and Ugo Rondinone: We Burn, We Shiver”
At the SculptureCenter, Sept. 7–Nov. 30.
A spiderweb-light installation by an artist who usually works in metal (Boyce), and lead-filled bronze sculptures by an artist most famous for his neon lights (Rondinone, maker of Hell, Yes!, the installation hanging on the façade of the new New Museum).

Related:

• Archive: “Guides”
• Table of Contents: Sep 1, 2008 issue of New York | Subscribe!