The best booths at the 2023 ADAA art show,
On the heels of a tumultuous month of art fairs in London and Paris, the American Art Dealers Association (ADAA) opened its 35th edition of the art fair in New York.
This year’s exhibition was held November 2-5 at the historic Park Avenue Armory, and featured 78 ADAA member galleries and included presentations by individual artists.
During the exhibition’s preview day, the atmosphere was lively, with luminaries such as actor Tom Hanks, actress Laura Dern, singer Bruce Springsteen, and writer Fran Lebowitz,
And MoMA PS1 board member Agnes Gund is among the notable attendees.
In the gallery’s corridors, amid a powerful display of artwork, the atmosphere struck a balance between grandeur and intimacy.
One of the striking features of this year’s edition is the notable focus on contemporary women artists, with many exhibitions highlighting compelling works and visions.
Highlighted presentations include PPOW’s display of evocative sculptures by Ann Agee and Anat Ebgi that champion the profound art of Faith Wilding.
The Peter Blum Gallery’s show of Sonia Sekula is another highlight, not only for the art itself but also for the gallery’s role in reviving the legacy of an artist who had long been overshadowed during the meteoric rise of her contemporaries.
The corridors of The Armory also feature leading first-class galleries such as Almine Rech, Marian Goodman and Pace Gallery.
Notable new ADAA members participating in the exhibition include Perrotin, Shulamit Nazarian, and Eric Firestone Gallery.
Here we present some of our picks for the best stands from the show.
Anat Abji
Suite A6
With works by Faith Wilding
Anat Ibji’s solo presentation of Faith Wilding’s works astounded. Embracing her role as a dedicated eco-feminist, Wilding reflects the beauty and degradation of nature.
She draws deeply from the artistic traditions of her country of origin, Paraguay, and South America more broadly.
Her pieces radiate a sense of spiritual vitality, enhanced by the vibrant colors and vivid details of her work.
Combining vintage creations from the 1970s with new works from 2023, the Los Angeles exhibition offers attendees a comprehensive journey through Wilding’s extensive body of work.
PPOW
Suite C16
With the works of Anne Agee
Tribeca PPOW Gallery designed its booth to reflect sculptor Ann Agee’s studio, and within its confines, attendees find themselves immersed in a canvas of the iconic feminist artist’s work.
Her “Madonnas of the Girl Child” series, which the gallery premiered in 2021, reimagines the traditional Madonna and Christ Child figure through a feminist lens.
Originally a painter, Agee creates dynamic ceramics, with relief motifs on the Simple Crisscross Madonna and the Blue Pixelation Madonna, both 2023.
Each figurine is stamped with the words “Agee Manufacturing Co.” Or “Agee MFG” to evoke a sense of industrial production mixed with the artisanal care provided by a unique craftsman.
By focusing on factory production, Agee’s work stands as a monument against historical patriarchal modes of creation and religion.
Roberts projects
Suite A25
With works by Linz Gerke
Characters in the works of German painter Linz Gehrke often seem lost in contemplation or stuck in ambiguous moments, sometimes turning away from the viewer and immersed in their own worlds.
And in Roberts’ projects, Gehrke’s new works, such as Tree Sitter or Badminton (both 2023), bring an air of introspection and uncertainty.
And there are a lot of great portrait painters out there right now, but it’s actually a very direct type of painting.
“It’s more psychological,” Bennett Roberts, co-owner of Roberts Projects, told Artsy.