Who’s Changing The New York Art Fair Landscape

by Art Fag City on February 9, 2010 · 20 comments

POST BY PADDY JOHNSON

Image via: The Armory Show

Will we stop calling the New York fairs Armory Week after this season ends? We’ve seen some large shifts in market share take place this year, so the early March fairs are likely to look significantly different. Let’s survey where we’re at.

New York’s largest contemporary art fair, The March 3-7 Armory Show, finally sees a bit of competition. Naturally, it would be Elizabeth Dee, New York gallerist and founder of X Initiative, together with gallerist Darren Flook, from Hotel, London who would provide just this. Their new fair, The Independent takes place at the former X Initiative this March, and plays host to quite a few Armory level galleries. These include, Bortolami, Andrew Kreps, and Johann Konig to name a few.

The website takes great care not to describe the event as fair — it is, instead a hybrid model and temporary exhibition forum, taking place at the former X Initiative and former Dia Center for the Arts — but as far as I can tell, that’s basically what we’re looking at. Galleries will display works of art in their booths. It will be for sale.

According to Lindsay Pollock’s In-N-Out posts detailing who’s joining The Armory Fair this year versus who’s leaving, The Armory Show likely has more than just the Independent to worry about. Amongst the larger New York players not returning are, Marianne Boesky Gallery, D’Amelio Terras, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, and Mitchell-Innes & Nash. All of these galleries however will be participating in Gallery Week, which will take place May 7-10th. Sure, it’s possible none of these galleries would have done The Armory this year anyway, but it’s hard not to see this event as an inexpensive alternative to the fairs. It’s also not without a track record elsewhere: Berlin’s Gallery Week is one of the largest events of the year for the city.

Still the Armory has landed at least a few punches. The ADAA Art Fair will take place the same time as the Armory — generally this increases foot traffic at both fairs — and the similarly timed Whitney Biennial always brings in extra visitors as well. It’s also managed to pick up a few good galleries, Lehmann Maupin and Yossi Milo amongst them. This latter point may be nullified by the number of mediocre Pulse fair drop outs the show’s picked up though. Sadly, Pulse New York is looking very thin this year — we may have to skip the Sci-Fi awards this time around.

Volta, the Armory’s sister fair lost a few exhibitors to, well, the Armory.  I don’t know what this means, since they’re owned by the same people, though the art-fair-in-an-office is likely to suffer.  It’s still looking a hell of a lot better than Pulse, at least by exhibitor numbers. Worse than Pulse is the always reliable Scope which still has it’s location up at Lincoln Center.  It’s exhibitor list is sorely lacking. Meanwhile, Verge fair, the brainchild of Chicago’s Michael Workman hasn’t even announced their list of exhibitors. Workman founded Bridge, the failed uncurated fair launched in Miami. Not surprisingly, it was one of the worst fairs I’ve ever attended.

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  • Jim VanKirk

    Worst? In what way? Would you care to elaborate? Was it the Artists, the galleries or the venue?
    JVK

  • Jim VanKirk

    Worst? In what way? Would you care to elaborate? Was it the Artists, the galleries or the venue?
    JVK

  • http://www.artfagcity.com Art Fag City
  • http://www.artfagcity.com Art Fag City
  • http://www.balgallery.com Barbara Ann Levy

    I took the risk and brought my gallery artists from The Barbara Ann Levy Gallery, formerly in Chelsea on West 17th St. and in a second summer seasonal location on Fire Island, NY in Cherry Grove to Bridge in Wynwood Miami. The Fire Island location ran for 9 years; three post 9-11.

    The location seemed a good fit for my mostly glbt themed show. This event however became a nail in the coffin for my business. The art fair was my attempt to get out of business debt to help the gallery get good after a post 9-11 slump in the NY economy. My gallery was a tourist based one on Fire Island and one that was hit very hard by 9-11. Prior to 9-11 the gallery was an ongoing success. Shows in the NYC location and ones on Fire Island typically received positive reviews from major newspapers and art publications like The NY Times, Art in America etc..

    Unfortunately Bridge in Wynwood seemed a failed attempt to play with the big boys like Basel. Mr Workman and his crew tried but failed to extend their reach into the high end market. Instead of sticking with a successful formula formerly created in Sobe with an inspired funky and edgy identity , Bridge Wynwood included everything but the kitchen sink in an uneven show in a poorly pitched high end tent. Some of the art would have been better served seen in a museum setting like the Russian historical pieces I saw or the Fine Illustration works typically found in retail venues like the beach galleries in Delray Beach, Florida.

    The fair was badly attended by the public until Basel closed when we got the dregs of goers who were clearly burned out on excessive art viewing who toured our tent like art zombies except when performance artists shed their clothes on a weekend night. For three days it seemed we had no more than three visitors in any hour. The tent remained empty throughout most of the fair and shuttle buses that were supposed to run did not run. When I asked about Mr. Workman’s whereabouts during the show I was told he was spending his time at the beach. No white glove service to be found. For the price tag this should have been the rule. I am still out the costs of missing and damaged art and on the day of the take down the tent company seemed to have no regard for the safety of artwork that still hung on the interior walls. Ladders and hammers flew in all directions without regard. No operations staff could be found to help with this situation until most art had been removed by irrate or intimidated dealers. Promised workers to help my people load a truck never showed. I had to enlist my artists to load it. I was lucky since I am street wise and realized what I was up against in this show. It was an unfamiliar and unpleasant experience that I will never forget. The Miami Herald used me as an example of evidence of a declined art buying public in Miami. An embarrassment but one that needed to be shared publicly. I asked for a refund but never heard a peep from Mr. Workman or his staff. This would have been the right thing to do even if a partial refund could have been had.

  • http://www.balgallery.com Barbara Ann Levy

    I took the risk and brought my gallery artists from The Barbara Ann Levy Gallery, formerly in Chelsea on West 17th St. and in a second summer seasonal location on Fire Island, NY in Cherry Grove to Bridge in Wynwood Miami. The Fire Island location ran for 9 years; three post 9-11.

    The location seemed a good fit for my mostly glbt themed show. This event however became a nail in the coffin for my business. The art fair was my attempt to get out of business debt to help the gallery get good after a post 9-11 slump in the NY economy. My gallery was a tourist based one on Fire Island and one that was hit very hard by 9-11. Prior to 9-11 the gallery was an ongoing success. Shows in the NYC location and ones on Fire Island typically received positive reviews from major newspapers and art publications like The NY Times, Art in America etc..

    Unfortunately Bridge in Wynwood seemed a failed attempt to play with the big boys like Basel. Mr Workman and his crew tried but failed to extend their reach into the high end market. Instead of sticking with a successful formula formerly created in Sobe with an inspired funky and edgy identity , Bridge Wynwood included everything but the kitchen sink in an uneven show in a poorly pitched high end tent. Some of the art would have been better served seen in a museum setting like the Russian historical pieces I saw or the Fine Illustration works typically found in retail venues like the beach galleries in Delray Beach, Florida.

    The fair was badly attended by the public until Basel closed when we got the dregs of goers who were clearly burned out on excessive art viewing who toured our tent like art zombies except when performance artists shed their clothes on a weekend night. For three days it seemed we had no more than three visitors in any hour. The tent remained empty throughout most of the fair and shuttle buses that were supposed to run did not run. When I asked about Mr. Workman’s whereabouts during the show I was told he was spending his time at the beach. No white glove service to be found. For the price tag this should have been the rule. I am still out the costs of missing and damaged art and on the day of the take down the tent company seemed to have no regard for the safety of artwork that still hung on the interior walls. Ladders and hammers flew in all directions without regard. No operations staff could be found to help with this situation until most art had been removed by irrate or intimidated dealers. Promised workers to help my people load a truck never showed. I had to enlist my artists to load it. I was lucky since I am street wise and realized what I was up against in this show. It was an unfamiliar and unpleasant experience that I will never forget. The Miami Herald used me as an example of evidence of a declined art buying public in Miami. An embarrassment but one that needed to be shared publicly. I asked for a refund but never heard a peep from Mr. Workman or his staff. This would have been the right thing to do even if a partial refund could have been had.

  • http://www.balgallery.com Barbara Ann Levy

    I took the risk and brought my gallery artists from The Barbara Ann Levy Gallery, formerly in Chelsea on West 17th St. and in a second summer seasonal location on Fire Island, NY in Cherry Grove to Bridge in Wynwood Miami. The Fire Island location ran for 9 years; three post 9-11.

    The location seemed a good fit for my mostly glbt themed show. This event however became a nail in the coffin for my business. The art fair was my attempt to get out of business debt to help the gallery get good after a post 9-11 slump in the NY economy. My gallery was a tourist based one on Fire Island and one that was hit very hard by 9-11. Prior to 9-11 the gallery was an ongoing success. Shows in the NYC location and ones on Fire Island typically received positive reviews from major newspapers and art publications like The NY Times, Art in America etc..

    Unfortunately Bridge in Wynwood seemed a failed attempt to play with the big boys like Basel. Mr Workman and his crew tried but failed to extend their reach into the high end market. Instead of sticking with a successful formula formerly created in Sobe with an inspired funky and edgy identity , Bridge Wynwood included everything but the kitchen sink in an uneven show in a poorly pitched high end tent. Some of the art would have been better served seen in a museum setting like the Russian historical pieces I saw or the Fine Illustration works typically found in retail venues like the beach galleries in Delray Beach, Florida.

    The fair was badly attended by the public until Basel closed when we got the dregs of goers who were clearly burned out on excessive art viewing who toured our tent like art zombies except when performance artists shed their clothes on a weekend night. For three days it seemed we had no more than three visitors in any hour. The tent remained empty throughout most of the fair and shuttle buses that were supposed to run did not run. When I asked about Mr. Workman’s whereabouts during the show I was told he was spending his time at the beach. No white glove service to be found. For the price tag this should have been the rule. I am still out the costs of missing and damaged art and on the day of the take down the tent company seemed to have no regard for the safety of artwork that still hung on the interior walls. Ladders and hammers flew in all directions without regard. No operations staff could be found to help with this situation until most art had been removed by irrate or intimidated dealers. Promised workers to help my people load a truck never showed. I had to enlist my artists to load it. I was lucky since I am street wise and realized what I was up against in this show. It was an unfamiliar and unpleasant experience that I will never forget. The Miami Herald used me as an example of evidence of a declined art buying public in Miami. An embarrassment but one that needed to be shared publicly. I asked for a refund but never heard a peep from Mr. Workman or his staff. This would have been the right thing to do even if a partial refund could have been had.

  • Lisa S

    Im sorry Paddy but an art fair no matter who does it is essentially a trade fair even if Elizabeth Dee thinks she is going to redefine it. Independent is just an art fair without walls. It has been done before. Yawn.

  • Lisa S

    Im sorry Paddy but an art fair no matter who does it is essentially a trade fair even if Elizabeth Dee thinks she is going to redefine it. Independent is just an art fair without walls. It has been done before. Yawn.

  • http://www.artfagcity.com Art Fag City

    @Lisa. We don’t disagree on this point actually. It’s just an art fair. My interest in it has to do with the founders – I’d heard Flook does really great things and I like Dee as well — and the combined effect this show might have with gallery week on the Armory. My question is whether the Armory will stay the giant it is.

  • http://www.artfagcity.com Art Fag City

    @Lisa. We don’t disagree on this point actually. It’s just an art fair. My interest in it has to do with the founders – I’d heard Flook does really great things and I like Dee as well — and the combined effect this show might have with gallery week on the Armory. My question is whether the Armory will stay the giant it is.

  • http://www.artfagcity.com Art Fag City

    @Lisa. We don’t disagree on this point actually. It’s just an art fair. My interest in it has to do with the founders – I’d heard Flook does really great things and I like Dee as well — and the combined effect this show might have with gallery week on the Armory. My question is whether the Armory will stay the giant it is.

  • http://www.mapmagazine.co.uk Isla Leaver-Yap

    Cathedral of Shit also pitches in with a UK perspective:
    http://cathedralofshit.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/independence-day/

  • http://www.mapmagazine.co.uk Isla Leaver-Yap

    Cathedral of Shit also pitches in with a UK perspective:
    http://cathedralofshit.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/independence-day/

  • http://dontneed.org saul judd

    i think the question in the air is
    Who’s “Challenging” The New York Art Fair Landscape??? or better could projects like the “independent” challenge it??? any one up to answer that!!!

  • http://dontneed.org saul judd

    i think the question in the air is
    Who’s “Challenging” The New York Art Fair Landscape??? or better could projects like the “independent” challenge it??? any one up to answer that!!!

  • http://dontneed.org saul judd

    i think the question in the air is
    Who’s “Challenging” The New York Art Fair Landscape??? or better could projects like the “independent” challenge it??? any one up to answer that!!!

  • onomato

    The armory has a major corporation as it’s owner (It was sold) and now has a 99 year lease on the piers. yes it should be called the “Chelsea Piers Show” or something. Pretty much the usual suspects if you go to Chelsea at all – a few international acts who generally make their way through Chelsea as well. If there is blue chip art lets call this middle chip. Safe.

    What needs to happen is for the smaller fairs to become financially viable, and also to brand themselves by being what they say they are.

    INDEPENDENT is a nice idea, but there is more to being independent than saying you are. Dee looks pretty established from where I sit in Brooklyn, where galleries have lower overheads and take more risks, even if they fail due to lack of curatorial skill, or a host of other contingencies. I know, risking your rent money isn’t like risking an art fair booth, but it’s a sliding scale thing isn’t it? For some people a lottery ticket is a big deal.

    But there is more to risk than money.

    The gallerist who complained she wanted her money back might be justified in feeling irate about lost or damaged art (that’s also why you insure the work) but does she really think a shuttle bus is the root of her sales problem? High end collectors don’t ride shuttle busses do they? And also, cracking the high end market is about making connections and establishing relationships. Learning the market. Many restaurants fail in their first year, people expect that. Why would you expect an art fair in a down market to save you? That’s heart breaking.

  • onomato

    The armory has a major corporation as it’s owner (It was sold) and now has a 99 year lease on the piers. yes it should be called the “Chelsea Piers Show” or something. Pretty much the usual suspects if you go to Chelsea at all – a few international acts who generally make their way through Chelsea as well. If there is blue chip art lets call this middle chip. Safe.

    What needs to happen is for the smaller fairs to become financially viable, and also to brand themselves by being what they say they are.

    INDEPENDENT is a nice idea, but there is more to being independent than saying you are. Dee looks pretty established from where I sit in Brooklyn, where galleries have lower overheads and take more risks, even if they fail due to lack of curatorial skill, or a host of other contingencies. I know, risking your rent money isn’t like risking an art fair booth, but it’s a sliding scale thing isn’t it? For some people a lottery ticket is a big deal.

    But there is more to risk than money.

    The gallerist who complained she wanted her money back might be justified in feeling irate about lost or damaged art (that’s also why you insure the work) but does she really think a shuttle bus is the root of her sales problem? High end collectors don’t ride shuttle busses do they? And also, cracking the high end market is about making connections and establishing relationships. Learning the market. Many restaurants fail in their first year, people expect that. Why would you expect an art fair in a down market to save you? That’s heart breaking.

  • onomato

    The armory has a major corporation as it’s owner (It was sold) and now has a 99 year lease on the piers. yes it should be called the “Chelsea Piers Show” or something. Pretty much the usual suspects if you go to Chelsea at all – a few international acts who generally make their way through Chelsea as well. If there is blue chip art lets call this middle chip. Safe.

    What needs to happen is for the smaller fairs to become financially viable, and also to brand themselves by being what they say they are.

    INDEPENDENT is a nice idea, but there is more to being independent than saying you are. Dee looks pretty established from where I sit in Brooklyn, where galleries have lower overheads and take more risks, even if they fail due to lack of curatorial skill, or a host of other contingencies. I know, risking your rent money isn’t like risking an art fair booth, but it’s a sliding scale thing isn’t it? For some people a lottery ticket is a big deal.

    But there is more to risk than money.

    The gallerist who complained she wanted her money back might be justified in feeling irate about lost or damaged art (that’s also why you insure the work) but does she really think a shuttle bus is the root of her sales problem? High end collectors don’t ride shuttle busses do they? And also, cracking the high end market is about making connections and establishing relationships. Learning the market. Many restaurants fail in their first year, people expect that. Why would you expect an art fair in a down market to save you? That’s heart breaking.

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