The Independent art fair this year feels like the nuts and bolts of an assembly line, much like Frieze New York resembles an assembly-line salad. Running through Sunday, May 17, the fair introduces visitors to a space filled with thick yellow plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling, reminiscent of a car wash. Pier 36, hosting the fair for the first time, provides a vast, warehouse-like setting with a long row of compact booths stretching to the horizon.
The exclusive opening night on May 14 saw hundreds of attendees, many sporting blazers casually draped over their shoulders and long, silk skirts, as they explored the 76 booths.
In contrast to the previous edition, which felt distinctly New York and was held at Spring Street Studios in Tribeca, this year’s fair presents a more cosmopolitan and international ambiance. Located in the Lower East Side, the venue is situated near the waterfront. Despite having lived in New York for 25 years, this was only the second time I had ventured to this part of the city.
A positive aspect of the new location is its spaciousness, providing a more comfortable viewing experience than the slightly cramped feel of the previous year’s fair.
According to Hindley Wang, a writer gallery-sitting for Galerie Buchmann, the fair feels more egalitarian: “There doesn’t feel like there’s one booth that’s better located, or a better shape than the others,” he told Hyperallergic. Artist Jeanette Hayes likened the atmosphere to a school reunion, saying, “It’s like we’re all in a schoolhouse, and we’re going classroom to classroom. It feels like a reunion.”
Now in its 17th year, Independent appears more subdued compared to earlier editions, with its vibrant downtown energy giving way to a more polished demeanor. The fair may only be a year older, but its audience seems to have aged by a decade. As public relations consultant Kristin Sancken noted, “It felt a bit hungrier last year.”
In recent months, Independent has formed partnerships that hint at an identity crisis. Its 20th-century edition, relocating to the Marcel Breuer building on Madison Avenue, has partnered with Sotheby’s, signaling a move away from its scrappier roots. Conversely, its collaboration with the Henry Street Settlement, a Lower Manhattan nonprofit, suggests a struggle between commercial and community interests.
Despite the evolving identity, Independent continues to showcase some of the most compelling art in the fair circuit. As Steven Guberek, director of Bogotá’s SGR Gallery, observed, “For some cities, it makes sense to have an art fair because it’s the only time of year when you have access to global art. But in New York, there’s this endless offer of art all year round.”
With that in mind, the following highlights booths featuring artists exhibiting their work in a solo presentation in New York for the first time.
SGR: Johan SambonÃ
Bogotá, Colombia
Johan Sambonà delves into the “colonial wound,” as explained by Steven Guberek at SGR’s booth. This marks the first time a Colombian gallery is participating at Independent, and it is the only Latin American gallery represented this year. SambonÃ, who was raised in Cali, Colombia, incorporates elements of precolonial sculpture while exploring identity formation in the context of colonization, globalization, and cultural homogenization. A closer look at one of his carved brick figures reveals a Michael Jordan jersey, highlighting this theme.
i8 Gallery: Arna Óttarsdóttir
ReykjavÃk, Iceland
Left: gallerist Geneva Viralam in front of weavings by Arna Óttarsdóttir at the booth for i8 Gallery, based in ReykjavÃk, Iceland; right: a weaving by Arna Óttarsdóttir
This presentation is the first solo exhibition in the United States for Icelandic artist Arna Óttarsdóttir, as well as the first time ReykjavÃk-based i8 Gallery is showcasing an Icelandic artist at Independent. Gallerist Geneva Viralam explained that Óttarsdóttir creates her weavings by hand on a large loom, translating designs from her sketchbooks into large-scale works.
Abattoir: Eleanor Conover
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Eleanor Conover’s works, which are part painting, part sculpture, defy photographic capture. These pieces, with their bulging and bending forms, highlight their handmade supports. “They go through a pretty labor-intensive process,” Conover explained. “Bleaching, dyeing, acrylic staining, and sewing all occur before any paint is applied.”
Sea View: William Wright
Los Angeles, California, United States
London-based painter William Wright is captivated by the world around him, translating ordinary views into intimate canvases characterized by a distinctively muted color palette. His work often depicts scenes from his studio, rendered in a pared-down style.
The Breeder: Alexandra Christou
Athens, Greece
Alexandra Christou, a self-taught artist who passed away in 2009, was born in Greece but spent time in the American South studying ceramics before moving to various European cities. Her figures are rich in psychological depth, with linework and color reminiscent of Schiele’s style.
Tomio Koyama Gallery: Rika Minamitani
Tokyo, Japan
Rika Minamitani’s paintings are both playful and intriguing in composition. Her works, such as “The Daily Life of an Octopus,” feature imaginative and slightly eerie scenes. A painting like “Meeting” shows a figure peeking back at the viewer from behind a red-tiled wall, while “The Thieves’ Garden” is dominated by an expansive black void, offering a glimpse into a world filled with wonder and affection.
