Critical 5 art events this week in NYC: opposites attract, October 17-20

Art in New York shows off the good, the bad, and the ugly. And the beautiful too. We're giving you some serious opposition this week, because rumor has it, beauty and beast work well together.

The Exonerated at Culture Project

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the NY premiere of The Exonerated and it's now being preformed again at Culture Project. A play based on real-life stories of death row inmates who were later found innocent and freed, The Exonerated captures the ugliness and the beauty of the Justice System to a tee. Not to get too political.

American Ballet Theatre at NY City Center

American Ballet Theater's fall season began this week. Gorgeous and graceful dancers on stage while you clunk into the theater in your galoshes. Yup, sounds like a contradiction. But hey, enjoy the beauty of it all. We promise it's not that boring.

Timeline: Work in Public Space at Dia: Chelsea

It's dirty, it's disrespectful, or it's completely awesome. Take it for what you want, public art is gaining credibility. Helping further that notion is Thomas Hirschhorn's Timeline: Work in Public Space, a collage-like installation that shows all of his public artwork throughout the years. Maybe a little more legitimate than graffiti, but we're working on it.

Rise and Fall of Apartheid at the International Center of Photography

Through more than 500 photos, Rise and Fall of Apartheid: Photography and the Bureaucracy of Everyday Life chronicles the institutionalization of racism in South Africa. The exhibit looks at how people dealt with such a life by embracing the good with the evil. Duality meets reality.

Fried Chicken and Latkes at the Actors Temple Theatre

Rain Pryor, daughter of the late comedian Richard Pryor, grew up in Beverly Hills as a black, Jewish woman. ‘Nough said. Friend Chicken and Latkes is a one-woman show that will have you laughing at the contradictions of her life. And most likely taking a look at your own. Everyone has that beauty and that beast lurking. Happy hunting.