A flurry of New York fairs
Spring in New York. Longer days, flowers in bloom, and for art world insiders, a flurry of market activity. This year’s marquee season promises six can’t-miss art fairs, top auctions, and some of the best gallery shows of the year.
The season begins with Future Fair. A relative newcomer, now in its third physical edition, the fair opens in Chelsea on May 10th and is known for its display of uber-fresh talent. As you peruse the works on view, expect warm enthusiasm from fairgoers and exhibitors alike. Don’t miss Emily Weiner with Red Arrow Gallery and Pace Taylor with La Loma Projects.
The next day, head downtown to Independent for a high-caliber curation of works by market tastemakers. Don’t be surprised by a cooler environment: The galleries here are vying for institutional placements and top collector acquisitions. My preview picks are Grace Carney at P.P.O.W. and Mette Madsen with STARS Gallery. Later that day, The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) opens uptown with a smorgasbord of blue-chip artworks, antiquities, jewelry, and design (and oysters, if you’re lucky).
The following week is colloquially known as Frieze Week, and kicks off with the fair’s New York edition at The Shed, opening May 17th. Here you’ll find the world’s leading galleries—such as Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery, and David Zwirner—and a mix of new artist names and market staples. Be sure to spend time with the solo presentations of Naudline Pierre, Jack Whitten, Nan Goldin, and Lauren Halsey.
Round out the week with a visit to NADA and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, which both open for preview on May 18th. NADA is a friendly affair, taking place in Chelsea this year, where new and established collectors alike fawn over emerging artists. 1-54 is the only fair of its kind dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Now in its eighth edition, the fair is being held in the former Gavin Brown’s enterprise space in Harlem. I am excited to see Turiya Magadlela presented by Kates-Ferri Projects and Johanna Mirabel presented by Luce Gallery.
—Caroline Perkins, Private Sales Advisor, New York
The Artists We’re Loving Now
Grace Carney
This week, P.P.O.W announced the representation of Grace Carney. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Carney’s work in the gallery’s fair booth at Independent New York next week.
Carney’s artistic practice primarily revolves around producing large-scale works on paper and paintings. She draws inspiration from a variety of art historical genres, including Japanese shunga, Baroque, and the Renaissance, as well as contemporary culture and her own experiences.
Her works often portray twisted limbs and contorted musculature, examining the intricacies of physical sensations and delving into the ambiguous boundaries between emotions such as love and anger, submission and aggression, and confinement and movement.
In her gestural oil paintings, Carney embraces the uncertainty and chaos of paint. Often using a limited palette, she typically starts from a point of discomfort or restraint to create intricate compositions that hover between representation and abstraction.
—Adriana Almeida, Senior Private Sales Director, London