The Armory Show has revealed that Artists Space is the 2023 recipient of Armory Spotlight. Launched in 2022, the Armory Spotlight expands the fair’s long-standing Cultural Partners Program by honoring and highlighting a New York cultural institution with a complimentary booth and funding for artistic production. Artists Space will present Housecalls, live drawing sessions by New York-based artist Drake Carr that unfold within an ever-changing installation.
We’re appreciative that The Armory Show has supported us in offering this platform to a fantastic early-career artist. Drake’s reflexive practice carries an awareness of what, where, and how it’s viewed, which will surely make for a thoughtfully sharp presentation that reflects some of the particularities of The Armory Show back onto itself.
Jay Sanders, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Artists Space,
For Housecalls, Carr will invite individuals to pose for portraits, drawn onsite and within the booth. Housecalls extends Carr’s practice of commissioned portraits made by appointment in patrons’ homes. This portraiture performance will unfold over the duration of The Armory Show, and visitors will witness the artist at work in an atelier-like setting. Carr will explore the performative nature of his practice, inviting the subject, artist, and onlookers to participate in a theatrical experience that extends beyond the booth.
Carr will alter the booth’s decor to echo his subject’s own home, allowing the sitter to both look and feel more “at home” amidst the swarming energy and complexity of the art fair. The booth’s architecture will play with revealing and concealing the activity within, offering privacy to the portrait session while encouraging visitors to peer into a partially concealed drawing room.
Housecalls emerged from Drake’s performance-based, live-drawing residency Walk-ins, which took place from January to February 2023 at New York Life Gallery, in Chinatown, New York. During the two-week residency, the artist created over 150 drawings in the gallery-turned-atelier, depicting fellow artists, singers, friends, and other glamorous eccentrics. Working under the guise of a traditional fashion illustrator, a once vital but now obsolete profession, the Walk-ins drawings were inspired by the vibrancy and excitement in the history of New York fashion illustration, combined with the psychological tradition of portraiture.
Founded in 1972 in downtown Manhattan, Artists Space fosters the artistic and cultural life of New York City as a primary venue for artists’ work in all forms. An affinity with emerging ideas and artists is central to the institution, as is attentiveness to the social and intellectual concerns which actively inform artistic practice.
Nicole Berry, Executive Director of The Armory Show, said,
Artists Space has played a pivotal role in positioning New York as a global leader in the art world, nurturing talents like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cindy Sherman, and Nan Goldin during the formative stages of their careers. They continue to champion emerging voices who are addressing pivotal social issues and inspiring reflection and engagement. We are thrilled to have them as our Armory Spotlight partner this year and for the world to see their commitment to supporting artistic expression.
Cultural Partners
The Cultural Partners Program is an initiative from The Armory Show that nurtures ongoing collaborations with New York’s renowned cultural institutions, showcasing the city’s thriving artistic landscape. These partnerships strive to stimulate conversations, and showcase the dynamic artistic spirit of the city. By joining forces with esteemed cultural institutions, The Armory Show provides visitors with exceptional and immersive encounters that honor the rich tapestry of artistic expressions found within the city.
The 2023 Cultural Partners are:
Americas Society, Brooklyn Museum, Creative Time, El Museo del Barrio, Magazzino Italian Art Foundation, Neue Galerie New York, Public Art Fund, Storefront for Art and Architecture, Storm King Art Center, Swiss Institute, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Jewish Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Noguchi Museum, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Times Square Arts
Not-For-Profit
The Not-For-Profit section on-site at The Armory Show highlights international organizations, ranging from museums to not-for-profit galleries to art foundations. They are united by their common desire to promote the visual arts to collectors and the general public alike.
The 2023 Not-For-Profit exhibitors are:
Aperture Foundation, Ballroom Marfa, International Studio & Curatorial Program, Light Work, Lower East Side Printshop, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, Skowhegan, Tate, The Invisible Dog, Wave Pool, Whitechapel Gallery.
The Armory Show, Friday, September 8th-Sunday, September 10th, 2023, Javits Centre, thearmoryshow.com
