New York Art Week: The Hits, the Misses, and the Melancholy of May
- Curated by Younghye
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
May in New York is beautiful, chaotic, and completely exhausting. If you’re in the art and design world, your calendar doesn’t just fill up—it explodes.
But I have to be honest: this year, the two heavyweight art fairs, TEFAF and Frieze NY, felt a little flat. The real electricity wasn’t in the convention booths; it was waiting in the auction previews at Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
Here is my honest, unfiltered download of the season’s hits, misses, and unexpected highlights.
The Fairs: Design Saves TEFAF, and Frieze Suffers from a Space Crunch
TEFAF New York
To be blunt, the contemporary art presentations at TEFAF were just okay this year. But the design galleries? Spectacular. They completely saved the show for me.
@larkinerdmann brought a Man Ray presentation that was a true, stop-you-in-your-tracks standout.
@macklowegallery was glowing—literally—with their iconic Tiffany Lamps. I raved about a piece of theirs at The Winter Show, but this ultra-blue, moody booth design was pure theatre. Masterful styling.
@sarahmyerscoughgallery proved once again that nobody handles woodcraft like them. They showed two massive pendant lights—both wood, but made by different artists using completely contrasting techniques. A gorgeous, hypnotic study in material and form.
Frieze New York
I used to love Frieze. It was always celebrated for its airy visual organization and grand, sweeping installations. But ever since the move to The Shed, it feels restricted, cramped, and stripped of its original identity.
The silver lining? A brilliant influx of South American galleries that you usually only see at Art Basel. It was incredibly refreshing for the New York circuit. A Gentil Carioca brought a stunning art installation that was fun, unique, and a total breath of fresh air amidst the rest of the fair. South Africa's Southern Guild also stopped me in my tracks with some gorgeous, soulful pieces.
The Big Surprise: Future Fair
Here is a hot take: Future Fair is where the exciting energy is right now. I wasn’t crazy about the location, but I loved the fact that they showed such a massive variety of work.
If you are an art collector who is just starting out, skip the blue-chip giants and head here. NADA NY used to be my go-to for discovering raw talent, but it felt tired this year. Future Fair completely outshone it, hitting that perfect, accessible niche right between NADA and the Affordable Art Fair. It was also just really nice to see Nancy Hoffman Gallery taking a booth there. Her presentation wasn’t necessarily a massive breakout standout, but she is such an established, heavyweight gallerist that seeing her presence in a space like Future Fair was a fantastic nod to the platform.
📍 Note: Because Independent packed up and moved down to Pier 36, I had to ruthlessly cut it from my schedule. It was just too far out of the way with so many design events happening simultaneously!
The Auctions: Heavy Hitters and Bittersweet Goodbyes
The auction houses completely stole the spotlight this month with legendary, emotionally resonant collections.
Sotheby’s & The Robert Mnuchin Collection
Walking through Sotheby’s preview of the late Robert Mnuchin’s collection was deeply sentimental. For years, we’ve seen these spectacular pieces living inside his legendary Upper East Side mansion gallery. Seeing them cataloged for auction felt like a final, bittersweet goodbye before they scatter into private hands. His iconic Black and Red Rothko went for a staggering, well-deserved price.
Up next, I’m keeping a close eye on the Yale University Scholarship Fund Auction—the calibre of works donated by artists and alumni is bound to make waves.
Christie’s Masterworks: The S.I. Newhouse & Ages Fund Collections
Christie’s brought out the absolute crown jewels this season. The room was absolutely buzzing over the preview lineup. Here are the heavy hitters you need to know:
Jackson Pollock – Number 7A, 1948: All eyes are on this piece. As Pollock's first major dripping canvas, it is art history in motion and is poised to shatter records.
Constantin Brâncuși – Danaïde (1913): A breathtaking bronze sculpture that is a total masterclass in form.
Gerhard Richter – Kerze (Candle): Pure, quiet poetry on canvas.
Roy Lichtenstein – Anxious Girl: A total pop-art explosion.
Mark Rothko – No. 15: Hypnotic color field mastery.
Cy Twombly – Untitled (1961) & Modigliani – Almaisa: Rounding out a week of definitive auction highlights.
S.I. Newhouse Collection Preview at the Christies NY
The Gallery Shows: Where the Real Magic Happened
Away from the crowded fair floors, Manhattan’s galleries are put on a masterclass this month.
The Helen Frankenthaler Face-Off: Gagosian did a massive show of Helen's work, but honestly? The sheer scale of those giant pastel canvases felt a bit overwhelming. Instead, I fell in love with Yares Art. They paired Frankenthaler’s lyrical abstracts with Anthony Caro’s bold, colorful structural sculptures. The juxtaposition was perfect—it created this gorgeous, poetic dialogue between the two artists.
Paula Cooper: Mark di Suvero’s “Avanti!” gave me immediate, wonderful flashbacks to Melvin Edwards’ powerful showcase in Paris during Art Basel last year.
David Zwirner: A beautifully curated, intimate Gerhard Richter show. It felt like a perfectly composed, small-scale echo of the breathtaking Richter exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.
The Chair Show (Tribeca): Tucked away at 125 Newbury, this has easily been one of the most clever, popular, and talked-about concept shows of the season.
My feet hurt, but the week isn't over! I still have a few major Upper East Side gallery shows to hit before they close. Stay tuned for part two!
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