Affordable Art Meets Avant-Garde: The Dynamic Blend of Art Expo New York

by Laura Lati | Apr 9, 2024 | Columns, Gallery Exhibitions

Laura Lati reporting for artfairmag from Artexpo New York 2024.

On Thursday April 4th, on Pier 36 on the lower East side of Manhattan, opening night of Art Expo New York’s 47th Edition, was buzzing with a typical New York alternative crowd. From blue hair to eccentric outfits and original fashion accessories, artists and emerging collectors were au rendezvous.

The first section of the fair presented the galleries booths and, in the back, much livelier and more interactive, were the solo booths by each artist, most of whom were there in person, sometimes with a member of their family, and they could really speak about their work in a natural and inspiring way. Art enthusiasts could truly understand and experience the art.

At the fair by the Redwood Group, audiences could find many collectible works below 5,000, and even below 3,000 USD. The fair gathers such an elaborate and diverse selection of affordable works, and if you’re looking for a specific medium or theme, you can find it there.

Lana Kaufman’s red ballroom scene at Artexpo New York 2024 © Laura Lati for artfairmag

In painting, I was blown away by the vivid red ballroom scenes with elegant dancers by Lana Kaufman, an artist raised between Uzbekistan and Ukraine, and by Lea Nasnas Chami’s heart-shaped abstract paintings in Tribute to Vincent Van Gogh. Resurrect Studio, by Nancy Wu and Jean Davis, was exhibiting sculptures they create repurposing industrial materials, and were part of the Spotlight program recipients at Art Expo New York.

Bombsupply Steven Trimble’s Bomb Shell 3D printed resin and hand-painted sculpture © Laura Lati for artfairmag

A major highlight of the fair was Bombsupply, Steven Trimble’s booth from Brooklyn with Bomb Shell, a 3D printed, resin hand painted Tinkerbell listed for 10,000 USD. Bombsupply uses fiction to expose American culture-capitalism and consumerism. Lexpo from Taipei was showing art perfect for kids bedrooms with Ariel, and Effeto Arte from Italy highlighted Dasha Lapushka’s artworks with Nike and Off-White sneakers, selling for 5,000 USD. Artist Adam Rose exhibited his paintings with light, dye-sublimated photo prints onto aluminum for the price of 1,200 USD. Artist Diego de Erice from Mexico City was showing delightful resin bunnies, each in a limited edition of 100, priced at 2,000 USD. I also enjoyed the witty neon wall prints by Victoria White like her “Neon Ruth Bader Ginsburg” selling for 3,500 USD.

Neon Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Victoria White

My chosen booth was by New York artist, Lisa Bisbee, who paints New York City’s landscapes with a sunset pink palette to shape the brownstones, water towers and iconic sights of this dreamlike city.

Like 2023 was characterized by lower value sales according to the Art Basel UBS 2023 Market report, this kind of fairs with affordable artworks by promising artists follow the current direction of the art market. This price range of works is seeing more growth in the art market, and Art Expo New York offers a great opportunity to take a shot at spotting rising talents. You can also enjoy browsing this fair online with an organized set of filters and categories.