It is that time of year again. . .Armory Week. Which means the City is over run with art, artists, curators, and patrons alike--bouncing from art fair to art fair trying to crack deals and get hold of the years coming market. It is an an exciting, yet anxious week and its always interesting to see what the big "blue-chip" galleries show, what sells, and what interesting new talents are shown.
For instance last year, when the market was slow (not like its not slow now, but there have been a few examples of shining auction sales) I noticed galleries showing large installation works or works with touchy-edgy-uncomfortable subject matters. There seemed to be an emphasis on curation instead of actual selling--I found this fascinating because the true purpose of an art fair is to sell art, to make money. The fairs spurred a deep debate in the art community: are art fairs still relevant? What about a virtual fair (VIP Art Fair-which debuted earlier this year was basically a bust)? Should fairs have a curatorial edge or be purely for the selling of artworks? Who really is the art fair for?
If you make it by a fair this week, take a moment and ponder the questions above.
Here are a list of the arts fairs commencing this week:
The Armory Show (the main event)
Piers 92 and 94, 12 Avenue at 55th Street
Art Show
Park Avenue Armory (Park Avenue at 67th Street)
Pulse Contemporary Art Fair
Metropolitan Pavilion (125 West 18th Street)
Volta
7 West 34th Street
Independent Art Fair
548 West 22nd Street
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