Today, Pier 94 … which is easier said than done. What’s listed as 201 galleries feel like considerably more than that. New art – an absolutely dizzying array of material – fills just about every available inch of the mega-space which comprises two separate piers. Thirty-one countries are participating in the show, represented by cities ranging from Reykjavik to Istanbul and Seoul. Crowds were good; buying was uneven. Nonetheless, dealers were optimistic about closing more sales before the show folds at 7:00 pm Sunday.
The Jack Shainman Gallery (NYC) was filled with people and energy, its walls highlighted by a large El Anatsui and a series of figures by Nick Cave, each called “Soundsuit 2010.” Gallery partner Claude Simard said that business had been very good and dismissed the suggestion of buyer tentativeness.
Galerie Anhava (Helsinki) was exhibiting for the first time, and described business as “good, not great.” This gallery was on a perimeter where the traffic was not as dense as the middle aisles (and anything near the food sections, naturally). Other Criteria (London) also was here for the first time, had sold a number of not hugely expensive Damien Hirsts, and was very happy with this “best show.”
They characterized a “more serious crowd” than what they encountered at the Hong Kong show this year, and lauded the quality of the works on the floor. And from the Vincent Szarek gallery (Austria), another first-timer: “People are coming with art advisers. There’s a lot of interest and return viewing, but people appear to be waiting, maybe for later in the show’s run. It is a strange vibe.”
