Whether all this will translate into sales still remains to be seen, though some dealers said they did find buyers for works valued at up to $1 million on opening day. But for now, the fair does offer some strong art, particularly in the Presents section for galleries in operation for fewer than 10 years.<\/p>\n
\n\tHere\u2019s a look at the best booths at the 2025 edition of the Armory Show, which runs through September 7 at the Javits Center.<\/p>\n
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\tVictoria-Idongesit Udondian at k\u00f3<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Garcia Valle\/ARTnews\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\tThe process of transporting artworks to a convention center isn\u2019t usually what people think about when they visit an art fair. But lines of trade become hard to ignore at ko\u2019s solo presentation for Victoria-Idongesit Udondian, a Nigerian artist based in New York. Udondian recently completed a two-month residency in Jingdezhen, China, which is often called the \u201ccapital of porcelain\u201d for its important role in the form since at least the 6th century. For this presentation, Udondian highlights the relationship between China and the African continent, particularly the ways in which China\u2019s trade relationships are aimed at extracting and exploiting the resources of Africa. On a series of hand-painted porcelain plates and wallpaper on the back wall of the booth, the artist has reproduced images from various archives, with a focus on child miners in the Congo.<\/p>\n
\n\tIn the center of the booth are a series of busts of Africans that were looted from the continent, which she had 3D-scanned and fabricated in ceramic; beneath these busts are shards of broken porcelain from a Jingdezhen market. These busts rest atop plinths that Udondian has covered with planks from shipping pallets, a reminder of how they traveled from one continent to another. Two of the busts have broken pieces of plexiglass behind, recalling the vitrines that these objects are often encased in once they have been put on display in Western museums. Within the context of a commercial enterprise, this booth strikes a chord.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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\tJacqueline Surdell at Secrist | Beach<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Garcia Valle\/ARTnews\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\tThe notion of transportation is also core to Jacqueline Surdell\u2019s imposing fiber-based works, which are made from shipping lines and industrial wefted rope that she twists, bounds, and knots\u2014sometimes loosely, sometimes tightly\u2014to create fascinating sculptures that appear to be abstract. But the booth\u2019s centerpiece, Suddenly, she was hell-bent and ravenous (after Giotto), a 2024 work measuring 13.75 by 21 feet, was inspired by Giotto\u2019s fresco for the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. Upon reading that title, it becomes apparent that this work is shaped like an oversized church altarpiece.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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\tEmma Safir at Hesse\u00a0Flatow<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Garcia Valle\/ARTnews\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\tIt\u2019s usually a big no-no to take a photo of an artwork with flash on, as repeated exposure to the harsh light could have long-term effects on the work. But for Emma Safir\u2019s solo presentation, taking an image of her mixed-media pieces is encouraged. When you snap a photo, a section of the canvas seems to disappear as if it\u2019s been digitally edited out. That\u2019s due to how Safir builds up her works, which are constructed via a complex arrangement of some combination of MDF, upholstery foam, reflective thread, reflective fabric, neoprene, Flashe paint, and silk, onto which she digitally prints images from her archive. Safir is interested in visibility and all that it entails. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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\tRF. Alvarez at Martha\u2019s<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Garcia Valle\/ARTnews\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n