ADAA’s Art Show Returns with Exclusive Booths, But Sales Are Slow

ADAA’s Art Show opened last night (October 30) at the Park Avenue Armory with its regular benefit gala to support Henry Street Settlement, one of the nation’s oldest social service organizations. The 36th edition of one of the oldest fairs in the city features works brought by seventy-five ADAA member galleries; many of these offer highly curated personal booths with a very focused focus on each artist’s practice and narrative. This curatorial attention, combined with the already present elegance of the Armory’s well-sized interiors and high-profile crowd, gave the fair a boutique feel.

Despite this, sales and negotiations developed slowly in the early hours, reflecting the current trend: collectors were increasingly thoughtful and deliberate, requiring lengthy conversations and negotiations before finalizing deals, even if prices at most booths seemed more reasonable than in previous editions. The abundance of appetizer and beverage options may not have helped, as much of the crowd’s attention was directed toward beverages and the focus shifted away from art purchases.

But newly appointed ADAA chief executive Kinsey Robb expressed delight at the turnout on the first night, telling the Observer that the benefits preview had exceeded her expectations. “There was a great turnout and palpable excitement in the presentations of our participants, many of whom were showcasing new works and artists for the first time,” he said. “It has been a joy to come together as a community, share each other’s work, and celebrate our long-standing partnership with Henry Street, for whom we raised over $1 million last night.”

At the entrance, Pace Gallery has set up a solo booth featuring unique monotypes from sought-after artists Pursuit HallPrices were set between $50,000 and $55,000. Just ahead, Kasmin presented a series of rarely exhibited works by the influential American photographer Tina Barneyall focused on the theme of family.

One stand that stands out in particular is Luxembourg + Co, which features theatrical performances by Japanese artist Katsumi Nakai. It was the stand. Moving to Italy in the 1960s, Nakai became deeply immersed in the Italian art scene, working at the historic Galleria Il Naviglio in Milan. His practice is rich in influences Lucio Fontana‘s theatrics and shaped, modified canvases Enrico Castellani And Agostino Bonalumiit also retains its connection with Japanese origami traditions. These pieces literally pop up on the stand, transitioning from monochromatic designs to vibrant, multicolored structures that evoke playful, almost biological forms. Priced between $14,000 and $50,000, Nakai’s work is part of an ongoing reinvention effort following his exhibition at Frieze Masters and a solo exhibition in London last year. This effort coincides with a newly opened exhibition at Luxembourg + Co.’s New York location, in which Nakai’s work is in dialogue with that of Isamu Noguchi.

The Eric Firestone Gallery down the left aisle offers a fascinating dialogue between them. Thomas Thresholds And Jeanne ReynalTwo artists who are life partners and deeply influence each other’s complex, interesting art. Their work reflects common inspiration from their travels, especially to the Mediterranean and South America. Trained as a mosaicist in Paris, Reynal developed an innovative and abstract approach to this traditional medium when he returned to the United States; He cut and intuitively assembled tesserae mixed with Venetian glass, semi-precious stones, and shell fragments. The result is sculptural columns that evoke ancient Greek archaeological ruins but also look deeply organic, like underwater corals or limestone formations; His works on canvas take a more informal approach to the material, with an igneous quality reminiscent of experimental textures. related to Jean Fautrier and Jean Dubuffet. Meanwhile, Sills (1914-2000), a self-taught Black artist from the South, began painting in his 30s, inspired by Reynal’s work and with the encouragement of Willem de Kooning. Known for his mastery of color, Sills applied paint with cloth and rags, creating a distinct softness and inner shine in his works. Reynal’s works in this presentation are offered in the $150,000-$200,000 range.

Speaking of light emanating from the canvas, Tibor De Nagy showcases Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson’s Icelandic landscapes pulsating with vibrant colors and gradients, capturing the unique natural forces and atmospheric frequencies of her homeland. The price of these works varies between 15,000 and 18,000 dollars.

Highlights from Peg Alston’s booth Sam Gilliam And Frank BowlingThe exhibition, which also included a Bowling work inspired by Cézanne and priced at $200,000, attracted a lot of attention. Louis Armstrong’s music plays in the background, creating an environment reminiscent of the era in which many of these works were designed.

On the reverse side, Lehmann Maupin presented the Malawian artist’s intricate collages Billie ZangewaHand sewn from raw silk pieces. Her works exploring themes of motherhood and life in Johannesburg are on display SITE SANTA FE through February and will travel to the Frost Museum thereafter. Pieces at The Art Show were priced between $18,000 and $20,000.

Recently, James Fuentes highlighted the Japanese artist’s lyrical abstraction Kikuo Saito Next to two lyrical paintings by the Trinidad-born polymath Geoffrey Holderthe person whose property the gallery represents. Owner’s Woman in Orange, It sold for $150,000 on the first night. Following a summer exhibition at Victoria Miro with his brother Boscoe Holder, Geoffrey Holder’s diverse body of work has received renewed attention, especially since Fuentes hosted his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles at the beginning of the year.

Among the fair’s notable discoveries this year are the dark and surreal works of self-taught artist Abraham Lincoln Walker (1921-1993), originally from Kentucky and living in Saint Louis. Recently discovered and exhibited for the first time by the Andrew Edlin Gallery, Walker’s art nearly sold out in the first hours, with pieces priced from $10,000 to $40,000. His highly dystopian works, dating from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, depict tall, masked figures and disjointed human forms intertwined and suspended in uncertain relationships in desolate, dark-toned landscapes.

For those interested in new talent, it would be worthwhile to visit the booth of Houston-based Josh Pazda Hiram Butler Gallery. Complex, multi-layered abstract paintings are found here. Ana Villagomezshe recently enjoyed a sold-out show at the Nino Mier Gallery in New York. All works are the same size and priced at $18,000, reflecting the growing interest among collectors.

Josh Pazda Hiram Butler isn’t the only Houston gallery represented this year: ADAA has launched an exciting new initiative called “Spotlight On…” designed to showcase the art scenes of cities beyond major art centers. The inaugural edition celebrates the vibrancy of Houston’s fine arts community with presentations from Houston-based ADAA members with panels and corporate engagements.

Fucked | Ayers | Bacino presents the artist’s personal exhibition Reynier Leyva Novo With works from his ongoing series, Whisper of Mnemosyne. This series was showcased earlier this year in Novo’s solo exhibition “Old Today Today” at the University of Houston Blaffer Art Museum. Novo’s work explores historical memory, questioning how memory is shaped and manipulated through monuments and other symbolic representations. The booth features acrylic paintings and canvas drawings reflecting the removal of Confederate monuments in the United States following the 2020 killing of George Floyd. One side of the exhibit features an abstract blue block created by enlarging a single pixel of the sky that was once framed. These monuments effectively erase their image. On display on the opposite side is a drawing that uses infrared light to reveal traces beneath deleted documents of the historic moment.

ADAA’s Art Show It will continue at Armory Park Avenue until Saturday, November 2.