Whether you’re a regular on the gallery circuit or your walls are covered in tattered Nirvana posters (something’s got to cover the holes, right?), it’s going to be hard to ignore this week’s art fairs. Setting up shop from Soho to Midtown and beyond, the fairs offer a chance to check out the latest trends in contemporary art whether or not you can afford to actually buy it. If you’re in the market for a light installation or just a cute European hipster in town for the week, break out your black turtleneck and haul ass to the West Side. — Joseph Alexiou & Beth Levin
THE ARMORY SHOW Mar. 5 through 8, Piers 92 & 94; 12th Ave (at W. 55th St.), www.thearmoryshow.com; opens at 12 daily, $10-$60
Devoted to the contemporary art scene since 1999, the Armory Show is the successor of the celebrated Gramercy International Art Fairs in the mid-90s.The show will exhibit works from 70 modern-art dealers, mostly from Europe and New York, and will sell their eclectic works by the thousands. A new section called “Modern” will be included in the fair this year, which is dedicated to internationally celebrated dealers specializing in essential contemporary and modern artworks. And even if you’re not that into spending a year’s paycheck on a painting, you can experience a different sort of art by way of music at MoMA’s opening-night party, which will feature a live concert from Gang Gang Dance.You can snag a ticket for the reasonable price of $100—well, it’s reasonable compared to anything else you may want to purchase over these few days.
SCOPE ART FAIR Mar. 5 through 8; 355 W. 36th St., 3rd floor, www.scope-art.com; 12-8; $15
Running alongside the Armory show with a bit more of an egalitarian bent is SCOPE.
Buying works at this show provides direct funding back to artists and to the group’s non-profit foundation through its “Cheap, Fast and Out Of Control” pavilion.This was made so that the Everyperson, has access to a broad range of art (and prices) and can leave with original art, from one-of-a-kind T-shirts to toys for the trust-fund baby’s playpen. Galleries like 33Bond in NYC will represent artists from around the world, including Spanish muralist Jesús Alonso and Brooklyn photographer Victoria Campillo; also SCOPE’s own Maya Hayuk, whose designed the mandalas and Easter eggs that make up the entrance to the show.
BRIDGE ART FAIR Mar. 5 through 8, The Waterfront, 222 12th Ave. (betw. W. 27th & W. 28th Sts.), www.bridgeartfair.com; 12-9, $10-$30
In only its second year in New York, the Bridge Art Fair, known for showcasing contemporary visual and still artwork from around the world, will most definitely be quite the scene.The exhibition itself will transform the Tunnel (the former railway passage/nightclub) into a 20-foot high space, spanning the length of an entire city block.This year, over 50 exhibitors will be featured, including emerging artists from Germany, Switzerland, Russia, the U.K. and France.The fair will also include works from local galleries such as Figureworks, Slate Gallery and Soho20.The Bridge Art Fair holds shows in other trendy locales like Berlin, Basel and London, and aims to promote experimental art (i.e. sculptures made from plastic bottles) in cost-effective means within diverse cultural communities. None of that do-gooder stuff means that the art is cheap, by the way, but plenty of galleries with reasonable prices for what they offer will be in attendance, including plenty from the awesome Williamsburg Gallery Association.
PULSE NEW YORK Mar. 5 through 8; Pier 40, 353 West St. (at W. Houston); www.pulse-art.com; 12-8; $20
Pulse’s showings on Pier 40 have a great commitment to large-scale installations.
The work by Luke Dubois—43 light boxes showcasing speeches by each American president—was a big hit at the Democratic National Convention. Other featured artists include Gary Carsley and his IKEA (Institute for Kontemporary Esthetic Arousal) funded installation on material culture, while curator Marina Fokidis’ “Pulse Play” is a channel of YouTube videos hand selected by the featured artists. But bring your titanium AmEx: according to executive director Helen Allen, depending on the gallery, most pieces will sell from $5,000- $10,000.These will be few and far between although some market-conscious artists have produced $500 edition places.
Photos by Kat Carney
