As usual, there's lots stimulation — both intellectual and of the just plain fun variety — to be found in the New York gallery circuit this weekend, as long as you know where to look. Here are a few openings worth checking out, all of which are likely to be chewy food for thought.

"Discussion Bench Platforms, A 'Volvo' Bar + Everything Goes Good” at CaseyKaplan Gallery, 525 West 21st Street, on view through March 27, opening Thursday, Feb. 18, 6 – 8 p.m.

LiamGillick is a difficult, influential artist of such prolificacy that,in order to check if his last New York outing was the Guggenheim's "theanyspacewhatever" in 2008 (no, it was a show with JulietaAranda at e-flux last year), one has to scroll through a 33-page CV. For his imminent show at Casey Kaplan, the British-born artist will be presenting an elaboration of an eight-act play titled "A Volvo Bar" that he first staged at Kunstverein München, with the new work consisting of 16 prints derived from the theatrical production. The show will also feature a 3D computer model of a factory (actually a film set) seen in Jean-Luc Godard's Tout Va Bien. (The artist made the model while editing a series of lectures delivered in Berlin's unitednationsplaza, which, the gallery indicates, gives the work an extra political gloss.) Hopefully the talkinganimatronic cat from Gillick's 2009 Venice Biennale pavilion for Germany will be on hand to explain.

"Size DOES Matter" at Flag Art Foundation, 545 West 25th Street, on viewthrough May 27, opening Friday, Feb. 19, 6 – 8 p.m.

Most first-time curators have trouble securing artists to participate intheir projects, let alone finding a space to show the work. For Shaq, the near-mythic 7-foot-one-inch tall basketball star, things worked out alittle differently. For his curatorial debut, at the enormous Flag Art Foundation, he's managed to pull together a dream list of artists, from RichardPettibone, CharlesRay, and MaurizioCattelan to CindyYuskavage, TimHawkinson, and Jeff Koons. Anselm Kiefer, even? The list is almost as impressive as thatof Greek billionaire DakisJoannou's upcoming show at the NewMuseum. Answering an old question, Shaq's show is titled "Size DOES Matter." Apparently. This just might turn out to be one of the season's highlights.

"Days and Nights” at Paula Cooper Gallery, 534 West 21th Street, on view through March 27, opening Friday, Feb. 19, 6 – 8 p.m.

The painter Dan Walsh is a trickster opticist, painting gridded compositions that subvert themselves into something weirder — he's kind of like a more rectilinear Tomma Abts, or Agnes Martin on a groovy trip. In his latest show at Paula Cooper Gallery, the New York-based artist will be unveiling a group of new works that include a multi-panel opus, Days and Nights, that the gallery promises will "function as an experimental, self-reflective chart of Walsh’s own tangling with his painting process." It sounds like a formal experiment that, in the artist's jaunty style, is likely to enliven the eye.

"#class” at Winkleman Gallery, 621 West 27th Street, on view through March 20, opening Sunday, Feb. 21, 4 – 7 p.m.

The art world can sometimes resemble high school, so amidthe neo-pedagogical trend appearing throughout the contemporary art world it's refreshing that in the latest show at Winkleman Gallery attendees will be brought down to basics by an actual high school teacher. That WilliamPowhida is also one of the most interestingly irascible, root-for-able artists in New York today gives the lesson plan, called "#class" and organized with artist JenniferDalton, extra appeal. The 40 scholastic events planned for the show's run include guest appearances by PostmastersGallery's MagdaSawon, who will host "Ask the Art Dealer," and the art site Hyperallergic,which will preside over "$ECRET$ OF THE NEW YORK ART WORLD." But most tantalizing are the panel discussions to be led by Powhida and Dalton — one of which, of course, will be "The Art World as High School."

"Questionable Beliefs" and “Inaugural Group Show” at Broadway 1601, 1181 Broadway, on view through April 10, opening Sunday, Feb. 21, 5 – 8 p.m.

Opened five years ago by German art critic and curator AnkeKempkes, the east Chelsea gallery Broadway 1601 has become known for bringing out reliably eye-opening shows by artists from London-basedexperimental artist-musician EdwinBurdis to the classic New York photographer BabetteMangolte. Now moving to airier premises, the gallery will celebratethe opening of its new space — at 1181 Broadway — with two must-see shows: a solo outing by the humorous downtown artist DanielMcDonald (featured in this year's WhitneyBiennial) and a group effort including work by an exciting range ofartists from MartinKippenberger to NickMauss and DaraBirnbaum. Now it just remains to be seen if the gallery will changeits name to match the new address