Today marks the beginning of the 16th annual Armory Show — New York’s premier art fair, which brings together more than 200 international galleries to Piers 92 and 94. The show, which runs through March 9, is the anchor for a series of affiliated lectures and conferences — along with smaller, satellite art fairs.
As the global art world (along with local art-lovers) gear up for the Armory’s opening, we spoke with Show Executive Director Noah Horowitz about five key ways both art — and art shows like the Armory — can transform mere houses into truly well-designed homes.
Fairs allow people to sample art from all over the world: This year there are over 200 galleries from more than 30 nations at the Armory Show, which means that as you move from booth to booth, you’re transported to art emerging from places like Helsinki and São Paulo. The show allows visitors to sample cultural moments taking place worldwide in a single space. Sure, New York might be a major art center, but you don’t necessarily see how art is truly represented worldwide just in this city.
Art fairs are not just for buying art, but also learning about it. This year the Armory Show not only presents fantastic galleries, but is also hosting a series of highly educational panels that are particularly relevant to collectors. One panel, for instance, focuses on how art interacts with architecture and interior design; we are also holding a unique symposium on art and China. There is really something for everyone.
Art fairs are a great way to learn about the logistics of buying and collecting. Every gallery works in their own way when it comes to getting art pieces back home. Do you take it? Ship it? First-time buyers often don’t know the answers to these kinds of issues. I advise buyers to proceed slowly and consider not just the work of art, but how they intend to display it or store it, how it is going to look in the home. There is nothing worse that buying a work too big for your home or one that cannot be stored properly.
Fairs like the Armory are big and sprawling and can be intimidating, but there are ways to make them more manageable. First, go to our website and download the fair map to familiarize yourself with its layout. This helps you learn about key galleries before you arrive. We are also working with the online sales platform Artsy this year to offer some 2,000 works for sale from nearly 90 percent of participating galleries. There is a huge amount of info out there that allows you to take the fair with you no matter where you are.
Art fairs are not just one-time things, but can serve as further touch-points for collectors and galleries and allow each to become familiar with the other in highly efficient ways. Fairs are just the beginning of a relationship between patrons and artists; they’re catalysts for developing connections that can last for years.