When Frieze Art Fair launched its first New York edition in 2012, many asked whether the stalwart Armory Show would fold in the face of British competition. That competition seemed capably met by Noah Horowitz, the Armory’s director since 2011, but the fair’s future looked uncertain again last summer, when he departed to become Americas director for Art Basel.
Heading into the Armory Show’s 18th edition, its new executive director, the former editor-in-chief of Artnet News, Benjamin Genocchio, says that the fair is holding its own against its rival. “Frieze is in some ways a very boutique item and product,” he says. “It’s a tent-based product; it’s very limited in terms of what it can provide.”
While Genocchio, who took up his appointment in January, has had little involvement in the 2016 edition, he says that the state of the Armory Show is strong. “This is a fair that trades off the city, as opposed to a city that trades off the fair,” he says. “We don’t need to fly in our collectors—they’re here.” There is data to support his claim: a study on the Armory Show’s 2015 edition by the economist Clare McAndrew recorded total sales of $200m over the five-day run. Around 65,000 visitors attended the fair last year, making it the second most-attended fair in the world after Art Basel in Miami Beach.
The exhibitor list this year features 205 exhibitors from 36 countries (among them, the fair’s first Cuban gallery, Galería Habana), figures consistent with past editions. In 2012, the Armory Show had 272 exhibitors, but the organisers limited booth numbers to provide a better experience. Genocchio says he was heartened by the number of applications for its Presents section for galleries less than 10 years old—more than 200 galleries vied for 22 spots. The Focus section, which traditionally highlights a geographical region, is called “African Perspectives” this year. The curators Julia Grosse and Yvette Mutumba have invited galleries from Nairobi and Cape Town, but also Paris and London, a nod to the idea that identity, these days, knows no physical borders.
But the Armory’s strength also rests on its Manhattan location and established position in the New York art calendar, Genocchio says. “It’s the start of the year, the start of the season. It marks a new calendar for the art world.”
• The Armory Show, Piers 92 and 94, 12th Avenue at 55th Street, New York, 3-6 March
See also: Single-artist shows and off-beat booths at this year’s ADAA Art Show