Observer

What to Expect from this Year's Independent 20th Century Fair
by Elissa Carollo
 

The invitation-only edition of Independent dedicated to works from the 20th Century will be held for the third time at the historic Battery Maritime Building during Armory Week, but those who want a sneak preview can go online on August 29 for an early access look. In advance of all that, we pored over this year’s program to see what this year’s thirty-two invited exhibitors have on tap to create a guide to the booths you should not miss once the fair opens on September 5.

“This year we anticipate seeing more and more growth across more artistic movements and genres,” Independent founder Elizabeth Dee told Observer. Some of the leading curatorial themes we can already identify in this edition align with the institutional choices across museums and biennials of the past year—in particular, the revived attention for Indigenous practices and artists from the global south. “Our track record is exceptional in this area,” Dee added. “We have been supporting galleries devoted to Indigenous art since 2019, before the Met Museum had a curator of Indigenous art. Last year at Independent 20th Century, we featured Louisa Keyser (Dat So La Lee) and Donald Ellis Gallery in a milestone presentation that landed a portrait of the artists on the New York Times homepage… It was the first time that a female Indigenous artist’s portrait was on the front page, and we are extremely proud to have played a key role in making that possible.”

Several artists who will be showcased at this year’s fair have received institutional recognition in the past year—this is by design, as Independent continues to serve as an important platform for not only collectors but also curators and museum directors. The fairs, according to Dee, have “always had a track record of being on the forefront of institutional development and curatorial innovation. I’ve been the creative director and founding advisor with Matthew Higgs from the inception, and I work with a small curatorial team (none of which are museum curators) which includes Sofie Scheerlinck, our COO, David Ulrichs and Alexandra Alexopolou in Europe.” Together, they look for what is deserving of more attention in New York and, with that in mind, here’s some of what you should prioritize at this year’s fair:
 

Brad Kahlhamer at Venus Over Manhattan

Venus Over Manhattan will present early works by artist and musician Brad Kahlhamer, who was inspired by a blend of his explorations of Native American ledger drawings and his immersion in the gritty New York art scene. As someone of Native American descent with a mixed background and fully immersed in urban life, Kahlhamer makes art full of powerful statements of cultural hybridity and identity. Incorporating a mix of materials and techniques, his art reflects a relevant exploration of the “third place”—a conceptual space where his Native American roots, his experiences growing up in a German-American family and his life in urban America converge.

Independent 20th Century runs from September 5 through 8 at Cipriani South Street in New York.