Formerly Max Fish during Art Basel weekend, and formerly PS-14 before that, BAR on 28 NE 14 Street opened (or should I say, re-opened) its doors last night with an art installation by Miami-based artist Alvaro Ilizarbe. This is part an ongoing project at this hip downtown watering hole in which every two months the interior walls will be covered with a new mural work by a local artist. First up was Ilizarbe who’s known for his Freegums clothing label and whose had successful showings at the Bas Fisher Invitational, and recently in the Bay Area at Medicine Agency Gallery.

His black and white murals cover about 50 feet of walls inside the bar, and have (endearingly so) a cluttered look that seems to recall bathroom stall graffiti, or the aimless doodles of bored high school student on his notebook. There’s an immediate accessibility to the work. The images are rendered with a nervous movement and attention to detail. Overall the work does not impose itself upon you, but you can sit in a bar and feel its strong presence without having to pay close attention to it, making it perfect for the venue.

Here’s a few pics from last night’s unveiling: