Editors' Picks: 20 Things Not to Miss in New York's Art World This Week

“The Watchers” at the 8th Floor

Trevor Paglen, Symbology, Volume IV (detail) (2013). Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures, New York. [two embroidered patches on a black background, the left one has an eagle, and a space shuttle launch depicted against an american flag with astronauts names, the right one has a scarecrow in blue against a moon in white, with a blue background, he is holding lightning bolts in red and white]

The warped rules of privacy define key contours of contemporary life, and artists have been at the forefront of the movement to make these perversions visible and visceral. Enter “The Watchers.” Featuring works by Vito Acconci, American Artist, Trevor Paglen, and others, the exhibition illuminates how much of what should be publicly known has become increasingly concealed, while much of what should be kept personal has become increasingly accessible to authorities, corporations, and the world at large. If you leave feeling secure, you probably spent too much time on your phone (which, of course, is a big part of how we got into this mess).

Location: The 8th Floor, 17 West 17th Street
Price: Free
Time: Opening reception, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.; Normal hours, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

—Tim Schneider