Independent New York Offers an Antidote to Fair Fatigue

Told to start on the seventh floor and work our way down, we were immediately drawn to ceramic work by Bruce M. Sherman at White Columns, which was set in a space with windows that looked down onto the fair below. The upper mezzanine and ample windows offering both views of Independent‘s lower floors and Tribeca, kept the atmosphere light, bright, and spacious—a far cry from Independent’s past place in Chelsea.

Descending to the sixth floor we were first struck by white neon sculptures, both lighting and obscuring an installation by Karl Holmqvist at Gavin Brown’s enterprise. Around the corner was a solo presentation of Nate Lowman made especially for the fair at Maccarone. Another standout solo was of work by Evan Holloway at David Kordansky (who currently has an exhibition on view at the L.A. gallery). JTT showcased video and paintings from emerging artist Borna Sammak, while Venus chose to show drawings and paintings from art world veteran Peter Saul. We ended our tour especially impressed by an installation of Than Hussein Clark at VI, VII, a debut gallery from Norway for the fair.

Independent might have been the most impactful art fair of the week, with striking presentations that resisted visually blending together and combatted the onset of fair fatigue. Don’t miss it before it closes on March 6.