"Those putting together the 14th edition of the “Armory Show — Contemporary,” which runs from March 8 to 11 on Pier 94, are eager to make a better impression than they did last year. “Our aim is for comfort and hospitality,” said Paul Morris, the fair’s founding director. They hired the Brooklyn architects Bade Stageberg Cox to open up the space, giving it two aisles rather than three...This year’s fair will feature 113 international exhibitors representing 31 countries, fewer participants than last year in an attempt to improve quality and give the dealers more space. Gallery Hyundai, which has not participated in the show since 2004, will be back with works by Ai Weiwei and Lee Ufan. Sprüth Magers from Berlin will be back, as will Greene Naftali from New York. There will also be a new section, Solo Projects, dedicated to single artist exhibitions."
"The list, which can be seen in full below, and which covers both Pier 94 (the contemporary art section) and Pier 92 (for modern art) has been reduced by 25 percent, to around 220 from last year’s 274 and that, said fair director Noah Horowitz in a telephone interview this morning, was a conscious choice. He said the aim, with the new design by Brooklyn-based architects Bade Stageberg Cox, was to give the event the feel of “a boutique fair."...Generally, change is afoot at the Armory Show. Booths are bigger, Mr. Horowitz said. Also, there is a clearer floor plan, more social space, better VIP services (including a VIP lounge twice the size as previous years), a proper sit-down restaurant as well as two coffee bar cafes (food services on the piers have been a major source of complaint) and a dedicated space for panel discussions."
"‘Tis the season to announce art fair gallery lists. The Armory Show, New York’s most established art fair, released its highly anticipated roster today...To keep up with the competition, the Armory Show has pared down its list by 25 percent, added a new solo projects section for emerging galleries, and tried to lure back a few big names had that defected in recent years...The fair boasts a few exciting 'gets.' Gallery Hyundai, from Korea, will return to the fair for the first time since 2004 with a presentation by Lee Ufan and Ai Weiwei. London’s Sprueth Magers will return for the first time in a decade, and New York’s Greene Naftali and David Zwirner have also come back into the fold."
"In a city where new art fairs are popping up faster than Duane Reades, it's about time some of them started banding together. The Armory Show and the new video-only fair Moving Image have announced a collaboration for the 2012 edition of the Armory, which runs March 8 through 11....Moving Image...will curate the inaugural edition of "Armory Film," a series of contemporary video and experimental films, at the Armory's media lounge on Pier 94."
"On October 25th an invitation-only crowd celebrating the artist Theaster Gates filled the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel with art, fashion and buzz. Gates has been commissioned as the artist who will create the visual identity for the 2012 Armory Show, to be held March 8th-11th in New York. Gates’s visual identity work will be used in the design for the exhibition catalog, VIP brochure and bag, and all printed materials...Theaster Gates is a seemingly unusual choice for a commercial venture like the Armory Show as he puts a large portion of his sales back into the Dorcester project. Given his wide-ranging interests and embracing of so many different media and aspects of art-making, it is very encouraging that the Armory Show 2012 has chosen Gates as its visual “representative.” By doing so it is reflecting a return to politically-based work, and a strong message of art’s transformative ability beyond mere commerce and sales results."
"The Armory Show, the modern and contemporary art fair that takes place annually in New York, has hired Noah Horowitz, former director of the online VIP Art Fair, as managing director...Mr. Horowitz, 32, holds a Ph.D. from London’s Courtauld Institute of Art in London and is on the faculty of the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York. He is the author of the book Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market, which was released earlier this year. The VIP Art Fair, which had its first edition in January 2011, announced Mr. Horowitz’s departure on Friday; he begins his new job today with the Armory Show, which started in the mid 1990s in the Gramercy Park Hotel."
"Paul Morris, Co-Founder of The Armory Show, announced the appointment of Noah Horowitz, Ph.D., as the art fair’s Managing Director. Horowitz joins The Armory Show leadership team — including Morris and Managing Directors Michael Hall and Deborah Harris — effective today. In his new role, Horowitz will help shape the creative vision of the fair and cultivate relationships with galleries, partner institutions and collectors for Pier 94, the contemporary section. The appointment of Horowitz is among the signals of the important changes being made to the fair’s infrastructure and amenities for the 2012 edition, which will take place March 8-11, 2012 at Piers 92 & 94 in New York City."
"Noah Horowitz has joined The Armory Show as the fair’s new Managing Director, effective October 31. Along with co-founder Paul Morris and Managing Directors Michael Hall and Deborah Harris, Horowitz will fulfill a central role as part of the management team. The press release states that Horowitz’s position will include shaping the fair’s creative vision and cultivating relationships with participants and collectors for Pier 94, the fair’s contemporary section."
"Noah Horowitz, formerly director of the online-only VIP Art Fair, has left the virtual world after less than two years to direct a fair in real life. The Armory Show has announced that Horowitz will become the marquee New York art fair's new managing director, starting today...It has been a fall full of changes for the Armory Show, which will hold next year's edition from March 8-11...Beyond the leadership shifts, the Amory announced plans to redesign its home at Piers 92 and94 with a new look from architecture firm Bade Stageberg Cox,add a restaurant, and trim its lineup by 50 galleries."
"Tuesday October 25, 2011, the Gramercy Hotel hosted The Armory Show’s 2012 Artist Party. Artists and afficcionado’s alike gathered amid the candlelit velvet of the classic, Old New York-style Rose Bar to celebrate the nomination of Theaster Gates as The Armory Show’s 2012 Commission Artist...Mr. Gates, a multimedia artist, has been lauded for his work in performance, installations, and music. In anticipation of The Armory Show, March 7 through 11, 2012, he now turns his attention to textiles with his Civil Rights Throw Rugs. While these tidy square rugs seem to be made of rough silk, they are actually composed of decommissioned fire hoses. Gates has created a set of 20 rugs (including one specifically for display at the MoMA) designed to draw attention to the tension between civility and the Civil Right’s Movement and specifically the role that fire hoses played in this struggle."
"Becoming an Armory Show artist, a kind of brand ambassador for the fair, seemed just as effortless. “It was the fastest decision ever and the first time it was unanimous,” said Armory president and co-founder Paul Morris of the committee’s selection...Aside from designing a limited-edition multiple for the Armory Show, each year the commissioned artist is also responsible for conceptualizing the “visual identity” of the fair. In Gates’ case, this job entailed submitting about 15 images that graphic designers will abstract for the catalogue cover and promotional material."
"Seventeen years ago, Paul Morris teamed up with three other New York art dealers to launch the Gramercy International Art Fair in the Gramercy Park Hotel at the foot of Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. The fair would morph into the Armory Show several years later. Last week, Morris came back to the hotel to preside over a press lunch in the rooftop Gramercy Terrace restaurant in anticipation of the 14th installment of the Armory Show, Mar. 8-11, 2012....Now, the Armory Show is being scaled down by some 50 exhibitors (from more than 270 in 2011). Booths are being made larger, and more cafes and lounges are being added, in a design overhaul by the New York architectural firm Bade Stageberg Cox ...Morris insisted that the dramatic move -- in today’s economy, to choose a path that leads to smaller revenues was necessary to preserve the show’s identity and popularity."
"...Additionally, it was announced that the fair will feature fewer galleries this year than last year. There will also be a new design by the firm Bade Stageberg Cox. The number of participating galleries has been reduced by forty in Pier 94 and ten in Pier 92 as opposed to the 274 galleries featured last year. Part of the redesign will also include getting rid of the metal staircase that separated the two piers. “Our dealers want us to have a more focused group, with larger spaces,” Morris noted."
"As the Armory Show art fair prepares for next year’s edition, in March...its organizers are making major changes...They also revealed that next year’s fair, which alights on Piers 92 and 94 in March, 2012, will feature fewer galleries than last year, and sport a new design conceived by architectural firm Bade Stageberg Cox...“If you make choices in the service of art, you couldn’t go awry.” These new decisions follow that principle, Paul Morris said."
"The Armory Show has announced that it will dedicate its next special Armory Focus section to the Nordic region, with the 2012 edition of the fair showcasing about 20 galleries from Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. For the first time in the section's three year history, the New York art fair has enlisted an outside curator, Malmö Konsthall director Jacob Fabricius, to help organize the display...The statement additionally notes that the region — home to such artists as Olafur Eliasson, Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Ragnar Kjartansson, and Guido van der Werve — has a "vital presence in New York City." A gallery roster will be announced in coming months."
Andrew M. Goldstein
artinfo.com
August 11, 2011
The Armory Show: A Record Crowd of Some 65 Thousand Attended New York Art Fair At Piers 92 and 94
"The Armory Show is as important to New York as Art Basel is to Miami. Maybor Bloomberg opened the fair, welcoming visitors to the city of cities, and maybe by extension, the fair of fairs..."
Julia Herzberg
Arte!Brasileiros
May 1, 2011
Sales Hold Steady at a Spruced-Up Armory
"Sales were steady, particularly at the $20,000 and under range. Young artist dominated the booths, and proved popular: Alizon Jacques sold out her Ryan Mosley solo presentation… "It's really nice to be here and to be able to actually talk to the collectors," said the artist."
Charlotte Burns, Melanie Gerlis
The Art Newspaper
April 1, 2011
At Armory, Fast Food, 3-D And Some Big new Guns
"The Armory Show, New York's biggest contemporary art fair... offers thousands of artworks. Last year, at least 60,000 people attempted the gallery booth crawl. This year, organizers expect as high a turnout, given the returning health of the contemporary art market. The crowd during Wednesday's VIP preview included everyone from "Gossip Girl" actresses to MOMA director Glenn Lowry. Artists Tracey Emin and Chakaia Booker also stopped by..."
Kelly Crow
The Wall Street Journal
March 5, 2011
Free-for-All Spirit Breezes Into A Vast Art Fair
"An unexpected benefit: the vigorous call and response between the contemporary section, on Pier 94, and the modern section created two years ago, on Pier 92, for dealers in more historical material.. The show seems fresher than it has in several years... and has a younger, more egalitarian, free-for-all spirit."
Roberta Smith
The New York Times
March 4, 2011
Weekend: Conquer the Armory
"For the past 11 years, galleries from all over the world have descended on New York to present their best works for the annual Armory Show. Taking up two entire piers, the show is overwhelmingly huge, but if you prepare well you will be treated to all the world class art that can delight your eyeballs."
Heidi Patalano
Metro
March 4, 2011
Manhattan's ADAA Art Show and Armory Show Set to Dazzle International Colelctors
"The Armory Show slated for the first week in March…packed to the brim with both top tier modern and contemporary art certain to rival offerings at Art Basel during June... is poised to draw collectors globally... The Armory Show is cleverly divided into two major sections, with contemporary art at Pier 94 and blue chip Modern works right next door on Pier 92. The contemporary offerings, from the latest paintings, photography, video and sculpture right up to monumentally scaled installations are certain to tempt the most discerning collectors. Located on Pier 94 is invitational Armory focus: Latin America, composed of 18 dealers from that region. The fair commissioned Mexian artist, Gabriel Kuri, who is touted in an exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, to create a special work for Focus."
Brook S. Mason
The Art Newspaper
March 1, 2011
Armory Show 2011: Focus on Latin America
"Truly an international art fair, the Armory Art Show spotlights Latin America with galleries from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela..."We distinguish ourselves by being supported by the most vibrant contemporary art environment," said Katelijne de Backer, executive director of the Armory Show. "Galleries and museums in New York City are second to none in the world, and they all come together to provide concurrent exhibition offerings." But it would be a mistake to classify The Armory Show as simply a "local art fair." After all, the art business is now by definition global. To counteract this classification, the Armory Show as increased and maintained the presence of international participants over the years. For example, in 2010, the Armory Show spotlighted Berlin as part of a geographical focus on a vibant art community outside New York. This year, "Armory Focus: Latin America" will feautre a selection of 21 galleries from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexio, Peru and Venezuela. These are in addition to approximately 10 Latin American galleries that already part of the main contemporary and Modern sections... Many of the exhibitors view the Armory Show as an opportunity to emulate the quality of a curated museum exhibition. What's more, many galleries are opting for spotlighting one single artist or one major installation with a view to creating an indelible impression on the collectors and visitors..."
Chiu-Ti Jansen
New York Observer Magazine (NYO)
March 1, 2011
Artist to Watch: Gabriel Kuri
"After a prolific year exhibiting in Italy, Germany and the United States, Kuri is beginning the new year as the artist commisioned to create the visual identity of the 2011 Armory Show in New York City. His role will be to define the fair's overall aesthetic, which will allow him to apply his personal subject matter, which addresses the consumer, to an event that primarily functions as a site for art to be purchased. Perhaps when his work is placed within this context, Kuri will reign as purveyor of the paper chase and, with the fruits of his scavenging, instill an awakened mindfullness among patrons at the fair."
Molly Gottschalk
Whitewall
March 1, 2011
Calendar: Visual Arts
"The Armory Fair takes over NYC's art scene starting in March, which means plenty of notable group shows... part of the VIP program during Armory. Sure to have its share of gross-out art, it also features big names like Ryan McGinley, Claire Fontaine and Norma Jeane, plus a tombstone by Brooklyn bad boy Scott Cambbell."
Richard Martin
MANHATTAN
March 1, 2011
Culture and Travel: When in New York for the Armory Show
"With Pier 92 showcasing modern art and Pier 94 devoted to contemporary art, The Armory Show is a feast for the eyes. It logged more than 60,000 visitors in 2010 and organizers expect an even alrger attendance at this edition, whose visual scheme will be created by the Mexican-born Gabriel Kuri. Armory Focus, now in its second year, spotlights galleries from Latin America. Special perks for VIPs include more than 20 private-sector open houses."
