The Armony Show, the most important show in the world dedicated to contemporary art, showcases its tenth edition. From 1994 to 1997, it was called the Gramercy International Contemporary Art Fair, but in 1998 it took the name of the legendary Armony Show of 1913, that first introduced European avant-garde to the U.S. As always, it will be held at Pier 94 along the Hudson river from the 27th - 30th March. The city of New York will become the artistic and economic epicentre for many collectors, galleries, critics and artists from all over the world. In honour of its tenth edition, the Armony Show has commissioned the artists, John Waters and Mary Heilmann to commemorate its late founders Pat Hearn and Colind de Land by collaborating on the fair’s visual identity.

During the four days of the Armony Show 2008, it will be possible to see the work of almost 2,000 artists represented by 160 international galleries from 39 cities of 21 different nations. 53% of them are European, 31% from New York, 11% from the rest of the U.S., and a minor percentage from Asia, Israel, India and South Africa. Fifteen of the galleries will be exhibiting for the first time this year; featuring Juliette Jongma from Amsterdam, Nogueras Blanchard from Barcelona, i8 from Reykjavik and Raucci/Santamaria from Naples making up the third Italian together with Continua of San Gimignano and Massimo De Carlo from Milan.

As always, the Armony Show continues to be a very attractive market exhibition. In fact, even for 2008, requests for participation amounted to a good 550 (but Gagosian also continued to snub them this year). The candidates were examined by a committee composed of galleries: Cilène Andrèhn of Stockholm, Olivier Antoine from Paris, Matthias Arndt from Berlin, Max Foxx of Los Angeles, the New Yorker Anton Kern and the Londoner Stuart Shave.

The organisers of the show are expecting a new attendance record this year that will surpass 52 million visitors, which in turn signals an increase of 5 million people with respect to 2006. However, the main objective of the 2008 exhibition is to celebrate the continuation of the contemporary art market in the New York sphere, which the American financial crisis could make very difficult, as can be verified after all by the Art Basel Miami Beach show. Who knows if sales will manage to keep up with preceding years? The Armony Show is certainly well known in particular for its excellent economic results. We just need to remember the 2006 sales which equalled 62 million dollars and that the following year it raked in 85 million dollars.

Other than being a great economic-artistic organisation, The Armony Show represents the true spirit of contemporary art. It also proposes for 2008 a majority of unpublished works that will be on exhibit for only four days of the show before disappearing to the privileged private collectors.

What’s more, remember that during the 27th - 30th March in New York, the sister show of the Armony will be introduced, or to be more precise, Volta NY; an event that will introduce a new system with the exhibit entitled “The Eye of the Beholder”. The curators, Amanda Coulson and Christian Viveros-Fauné, have invited a certain number of artists to present some personal exhibitions created exclusively for this show. Volta NY acts as an experiment in focusing attention towards the artists and the galleries that present them, something that happens in a more chaotic way during traditional shows.

27th - 30th March 2008
THE ARMONY SHOW
Piers 94 - 12 Ave. at 50&52 St. - New York City
Tel. +1 212.645.6440
Internet: www.thearmoryshow.com
Email: info@thearmoryshow.com