It's freezing out there, and the city is bracing for 1,000,000+ tourists, road closings, and harrowing conditions on metro. Sounds like the perfect time to transport yourself out of this physical plane with some mandala-like, metaphysically minded art at Curator's Office from visionary architect and artist Paul Laffoley (looks trippy!), young artist and maze enthusiast Jason Hughes (I'm a fan!), and ex-artist Simon Gouverneur (he's dead!).

According to the press release, an "anonymous art connoisseur" (probably Phil Barlow) said that these paintings "take an hour or more to absorb, but a lifetime to understand." (Not to be confused with the popular Mattel board game, Othello, which takes only "a minute to learn," but "a lifetime to master".)

Lucid Dreaming opens tomorrow night, January 17, with a reception from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Pictured: Jason Hughes, Mind Games, ink on rice paper, 20.75" x 18", 2008