This week marks the twelfth edition of the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) fair in New York, coinciding with my inaugural visit. Navigating the vast Starrett-Lehigh Building in Manhattan often leaves me disoriented, but the fair itself prompted a feeling reminiscent of being in a shopping mall. Unlike the Frieze at The Shed, this sensation arose from the realization that many booths seemed to offer slightly varied versions of similar art.
While it might seem an exaggeration, the prevalence of certain artistic themes was undeniable. Zany sculptures, shiny objects™, abstract sensuality, kitschy colors, and floral artwork dominated the scene, rendering some exhibits almost indistinguishable from one another. Yet, amidst these trends, several pieces stood out and resonated more strongly outside the NADA context.
Among the highlights was California-based Moldovan artist Elena Roznovan’s solo presentation at the Central Server Works booth. Her work featured dimensional watercolor self-portraits with personal and maternal elements like fingernail clippings and umbilical cord fragments, embedded in concrete panels with bondage tape. Roznovan’s art explores the tensions of medical regulations and bodily autonomy during and after pregnancy through the lens of BDSM.
In contrast to the fair’s overwhelming vibrancy, Kelly Tapia-Chuning’s dismantled vintage serapes at the Milk Moon Gallery booth offered a moment of reflection. Her work deconstructs serapes to address colonial violence and Indigenous erasure tied to contemporary Mexican identity. Niniko Morbedadze’s folkloric illustrations at CH64 Gallery offered a similar contemplative experience, with their dream-like quality and meticulous execution.
At the Buenos Aires-based Piedras Galería booth, Jimena Croceri’s cast bronze ‘jewels’ played with the negative spaces of the human form, while Teresa Giarcovich’s tulle wall-hangings showcased a watercolor-like translucency. Finally, NADA Projects featured 95 Gallon Gallery’s entire venue, with Dan Gausman noting it as ‘the one booth that always has people leaving with a smile.’
