For the first time in its 27-year history, The Armory Show will produce an outdoor public art program, Armory Off-Site. The fair is partnering with parks and public spaces all over New York City to host ambitious, interactive works on view from September 9 through December 2021, launching at the time of its in-person return at the Javits Center next week.
Armory Off-Site features large-scale works by international contemporary artists, including the Guild of Adventure Painters, led by Johnny DeFeo and Aaron Zulpo, from New York’s 1969 Gallery, Katja Larsson from Aicon Contemporary, Josh Callaghan from Los Angeles’ Night Gallery, and David Cavaliero and Niyi Olagunju from TAFETA in London. Each explore a range of themes, from Classical mythology to global ecosystems and the built environment, promising to expand the Armory Show’s reach and engagement with visitors.
Josh Callaghan, Installation of “Social Blocks” at Night Gallery, courtesy of the artist and Night Gallery, Los Angeles.
At Astor Place Plaza, South Plaza, Adventure Painting: NYC (2021) by the Guild of Adventure Painters can be found, a 31-foot Airstream RV featuring an interactive installation of work and painting sessions. Larsson’s Empire (2021)and Materially Superior (2021) will be at Hudson River Park, Pier 64 at 24th Street, transforming everyday objects into something monumental and statuesque. Callaghan’s Social Block (2021) uses concrete cinder blocks to create a place of discovery and reflection, on view at Flatiron Plaza, South Plaza at 22nd Street. AndCavaliero and Olagunju’s will present an interactive collaborative project Untitled (AFH Installation) (2019) engaging with themes of commerce and illusion atBella Abzug Park.
Niyi Olagunju and David Cavaliero, “Untitled (AFH Installation),” 2019, courtesy of the artists and TAFETA, London.
Said Executive Director of the Armory Show, Nicole Berry, “[The fair]is deeply committed to supporting the city’s incredible museums, galleries, and artists, but also celebrating and giving back to the city.” After a tumultuous year and a half that lacked in-person company, Berry went on to say, “we felt it was more important than ever to enhance New York City’s beautiful parks and outdoor spaces with engaging and interactive public art for all residents and visitors to experience, enjoy, and hopefully find inspiration.”
Aaron Zulpo, “Joshua Tree Boulders,” 2021, oil on canvas, courtesy the Guild of Adventure Painting and 1969 Gallery.
