Asian Artists and Galleries at the 2016 Armory Show
By Paul Laster
Earlier this month, the Armory Show returned to Piers 92 and 94 on New York City’s Hudson River for the 22nd edition of the international art fair, with 205 exhibitors from 36 countries—yet there were fewer Asian galleries than in any recent year.
In 2014, when the Armory Focus (a section of the fair that highlights artists from a specific region, which differs each year) was China, there were 25 Asian galleries at the fair. The following year, when the Focus was the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean, there were 20 Asian galleries. This year, with the Focus being African Perspectives, the number of participating galleries from Asia is down to just 10.