Recently in New York City, a record 483 galleries and artist projects
participated in 11 concurrent art fairs—the Armory show being the
biggest. Dealers at this fair reported increased sales from last year
and were confident the art market had rebounded.
However, the talk of the week was the “Independent,” a brand new
art fair co-founded by New York gallerist Elizabeth Dee and the
London-based Darren Flook held at the former Dia Center for the
Arts building in Chelsea.
Billed as “... part consortium, part collective”, it gathered about 40
international galleries, nonprofit spaces and publications together
under one roof. Each exhibitor had an unbound area to show its
works, rather than the standard walk-in cubicle trade-show style
architecture of most art fairs.
Admission was free and the vibe was great with an informal
atmosphere dominated by large sculptures and installations.
High points included Elizabeth Dee’s showing of a new Ryan
Trecartin video and Matthew Higgs manning the White Columns
table and installation, offering editions and multiples (including
prints, journals, and LPs) to benefit future programming for this
great not-for-profit alternative space.
The Independent is a reflection of the post-boom New York City
art world: the whole operation was gallery-run as opposed to
centrally organized. All exhibitors knew the total budget and
chipped in the same amount of money toward renting the space
and covering operating costs. In the end, it was still a money-making
proposition—hopefully—but the presentation was much
more engaging, more like a curated group show at a museum or
gallery than a trade fair.
By Donna Wingate, Creative Director, Marquand Books
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