New York’s annual Armory Show, the biggest window on contemporary art in the United States, has opened with hopes of injecting energy and cash into the city’s recession-hit art scene.
“This fair shows the vitality and internationalism of New York. All these exhibitions are part of what makes New York so exciting,” said Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
The Armory Show, which is partnered by MoMA, features 300 galleries exhibiting in the huge hangar-like buildings on two jetties on the Hudson River in Manhattan.
On Wednesday there were already thousands of visitors taking part in the invitation-only opening events, which are reserved for collectors, critics, galleries and museums. The show is open to the public until Sunday, and 60,000 people are expected.
Some 30 countries are represented in this year’s show, including 20 Berlin galleries.
“We wanted to celebrate the energy of Berlin. Every fair has to find ways to make it exciting for visitors,” Katelijne Debacker, executive director of the Armory Show.
“We wanted to celebrate the energy of Berlin. Every fair has to find ways to make it exciting for visitors,” Katelijne Debacker, executive director of the Armory Show.
In addition to the Armory Show there are 10 shows taking place at the same time around the city, including for the first time a Korean Art Show, with more than 20 Seoul galleries represented. There is also Dutch Art Now.
The Armory Show long has been a chance for collectors and dealers to find cutting-edge work, and this year’s batch brings something for everyone: from hyper-realism to abstract expressionism, from traditional oil painting to more experimental methods.