Saito grew up inside skateboard culture and now bends its central form — the ramp — through bentwood, a centuries-old technique borrowed from furniture making, producing sculptures between skate object and craft heirloom. His 'flow-chitecture' recasts the ramp as a democratic structure and asks what genuinely open public space means. If you're drawn to street culture, craft or Japanese design, this is the sleeper of the Chelsea summer season.
What to expect
A focused single-artist presentation of bent-wood sculptures riffing on ramps and the shared ground of the city, in a gallery run by Japanese design house Garde. It's a compact show — 20-30 minutes — with the material warmth of a woodshop and the attitude of a skate video, on West 23rd Street's gallery row.
Good to know
- Free — GOCA by Garde is at 515 W 23rd Street among the Chelsea galleries
- C/E to 23rd St; steps from the High Line
- Open Tuesday through Sunday; closed Mondays
- Appeals equally to skaters, woodworkers and design lovers
- Combine with the Zwirner benefit show and Galerie Lelong nearby for a full Chelsea loop
Get Saturday planned every Thursday
One email a week — the best of the NYC weekend board. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Common questions
Who is Yuya Saito?
A Japanese-born, New York-based artist shaped by skateboard and street culture who works in bentwood — a traditional wood-bending technique — to explore the relationship between the city and its people.
Are the works functional skate ramps?
No — they're sculptures that take the ramp as a motif, translating its curves into crafted wood forms.
More this weekend
