5 Art Events to Attend This Weekend

Shiki: Landscape and Beyond
There is a pine tree that has seen more of the world than most humans. Well, it’s mostly a pine tree; the trunk is real, the leaves are handmade from resin by floral sculptor Azuma Makoto. This tree suspended in an open steel frame makes its way to Dallas via Zhulong Gallery (1302 Dragon St.) for an exhibition titled Shiki: Landscape and Beyond. The beautifully odd tree has taken a trip around the world, stopping in a variety of locations from government halls to unexpected landscapes. While the tree will be the centerpiece of the exhibition, it will be surrounded by large-format photographs documenting the journey, shot by Makoto’s collaborator, Shunsuke Shiinoki. The opening reception for the exhibit will be 7-9 p.m. Friday. More at zhulonggallery.com.

Sightings: Alex Israel
Some days you’ll find Alex Israel assuming the role of daytime talk show host, his legs crossed, sunglasses shading his eyes as he interviews personalities with varying degrees of celebrity. Other times, you’ll find him working with Warner Brothers set designers to create paintings that resemble the sky, much like a film set. These appropriations of Hollywood culture fascinate Israel, who has spent much of his artistic career investigating the way movies influence popular culture. As part of the Sightings series at the Nasher Sculpture Center (2001 Flora St.), Israel will continue his investigation, combining a number of sculptures from the museum’s collection with his recent paintings and sculptures. His work will likely reflect his current interest in after-school specials and the genre of the teen surfing movie, which he’s using to create a feature-length film, SPF-18. See the work at 11 a.m. Saturday or through January 31. Admission is $10. More at nashersculpturecenter.org.

JW + WS
If you're looking for something a little edgier, a little grittier, then you'll want to check out new media artists Joshua Westerman and William Sarradet, who have a two-person exhibit at Beefhaus (833 Exposition Ave.) this weekend. Westerman uses his work to build "a case against active listening as a ubiquitous practice and against a New Music establishment that treats the body as an afterthought." Show up to find out what that means. Sarradet, who is a prominent VJ in Dallas, creates a video collage with accompanying music as well as complementary collateral to bring the work into the physical world. In tandem, their work is meant to create an immersive sensory experience. See it in opening reception from 7-10 p.m. Saturday.
New Wave
This weekend, the Goss-Michael Foundation opens an exhibition equal parts thought-provoking and captivating. The seven artists in the exhibition use varied approaches to address sociopolitical issues, the global market, gender, pop culture and internet phenomena, according to the press release. Artists include Darja Bajagic, Nina Beier, Ida Ekblad, Shilpa Gupta and more. See it in opening reception from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday or through December 11. 

Reading Room Book Swap
Every year the Reading Room (3715 Parry Ave.) hosts a book swap, and every year, without fail, the date slips off my calendar and I spend a few months in regret. This is the year I put my FOMO to rest by writing in iCal that the book swap will take place from 2-7 p.m. Saturday. There will be book trades, beer and microreadings (which sounds totally adorable). Readers include local luminaries such as Will Evans, Janiel Engelstad, Kendra Greene and Patrick Romeo. Trade up that new Jonathan Franzen tome for a Deep Vellum book, if you’re lucky. More at readingroomdallas.blogspot.com.