Independent New York is a contemporary art fair produced by insiders from New York City’s own art community. The world comes to New York to produce art fairs, but this is New York producing its own art fair. It’s the New Yorker of New York art fairs.
15×15: Independent 2010-2024
15×15: Independent 2010-2024, Independent New York’s fifteenth anniversary contemporary art fair, features artists and galleries who have contributed to Independent’s development; at Spring Studios in Tribeca, Manhattan; from Thursday-Sunday, May 9-12, 2024. From $45. 🇺🇸 🇧🇴 🇧🇷 🇯🇲 🇰🇪 🇲🇽 🇳🇬 🇸🇴
This is Independent New York’s 15th anniversary art fair. It is curated by Independent founder Elizabeth Dee and founding curatorial advisor Matthew Higgs.
Participating artists and galleries:
- Tunji Adeniyi-Jones presented by Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York. 🇳🇬
Adeniyi-Jones is Brooklyn English Yoruba. He paints the African body in the spiritual realm. He is very metaphysical. His use of color and pattern reminds us of traditional Yoruba headdresses. Like one who sees, Adeniyi-Jones brings the past into the future. We don’t know his heritage country, but the Yoruba people are spread across Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. @tunjiaj - Margot Bergman presented by Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago and Anton Kern, New York
- McArthur Binion presented by Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, London and Seoul
- Beau Dick presented by Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver
- vanessa german presented by Kasmin Gallery, New York
- Jameson Green presented by Derek Eller Gallery, New York
- Donna Huanca presented by Peres Projects, Berlin, Milan and Seoul. 🇧🇴
Huanca is a Bolivian American artist, living in Berlin. Her work often blends painting, sculpture, and performance. She uses color, form, and pattern to fool the eye. Her body of work includes her own body. At a quick glance, you might not realize that there is a live person in that painted sculpture. @ruaminx - Tomashi Jackson presented by Tilton Gallery, New York 🇺🇸
Jackson is an African American mixed media artist who works across painting, video, textiles, and sculpture. She was in the 2019 Whitney Biennial. Her theme is the oppression of Black people under cover of abstract expressionism. @tomashi_ashi | jacktiltongallery.com - Elisabeth Kley presented by Canada, New York
- Alice Mackler presented by Kerry Schuss Gallery, New York
- Fernando Marques Penteado presented by Mendes Wood DM, Brussels, New York, Paris and São Paulo. 🇧🇷
Marques Penteado (1955) is a Brazilian artist who works in Brussels, Belgium. He works with textiles and collage on the subject of human relations and the displacement thereof. He must be very inspired by the present moment. mendeswooddm.com - Joel Mesler presented by White Columns, New York
- Peter Nadin presented by Off Paradise, New York
- Ruby Neri presented by David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles and New York
- Kent O’Connor presented by Matthew Brown, Los Angeles
- Martín Ramírez presented by Ricco/Maresca Gallery, New York. 🇲🇽
Ramírez (1895-1963) was a self-taught artist born in Jalisco, Mexico who moved to California to work and support his family. He spent the later part of his life in mental hospitals for catatonic schizophrenia. In that condition, one may be overly still, or overly active. Even so, he is acknowledged master of outsider art (self-taught art). He was a fine draftsman whose drawings of both Mexican and American life are a bit surreal. But then Andre Bretón, the founder of Surrealism, said that, “Mexico tends to be the utmost surrealist place.” - Akeem Smith presented by Heidi, Berlin. 🇯🇲
Smith was raised in Jamaica and New York City. His installations, videos, and performances reflect Caribbean life. They may be exotic to New Yorkers, but look like home to Caribbeans. We don’t have much, but make do with what we have. He uses found objects which bring to mind the general decay of the tropics, and often expresses poetic irony. @akeemouch - Uman presented by Nicola Vassell Gallery, New York. 🇸🇴 🇰🇪
Uman is a self-taught East African artist, born in Somalia, raised in Kenya and Denmark, and now a New Yorker. She is a painter whose work has a sophisticated childlike quality that seems to be of both this world and the next. It’s so refreshing to see natural talent. Uman wasn’t made an artist. She was born one. nicolavassel.com
Independent New York
Independent New York was founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Dee. It produces two art fairs in New York City: Independent New York in May, and Independent 20th Century in September.
The Independent is an art fair that tries not to be an art fair. It grew out of the Dia Center for the Arts, the now legendary land art gallery that pioneered West 22nd St and the entire Chelsea neighborhood as an art district all the way back in 1987 when Chelsea was scary.
It’s more a gathering of artists, dealers, and collectors than an art fair. Maybe it is more about appreciating art, than about selling art. That makes it different. Galleries are invitation only. You can’t buy your way into this fair.
Tickets and Information
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