New York is buzzing with art. The city is currently playing host to four fairs: New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), Future Fair and Independent. The inaugural Art Week (May 5-12) resembles pre-pandemic days where every hour seems to be filled with events, walkthroughs, previews and parties, and visitors have flocked to town in fashionable hordes. Absent from this week’s festivities is Frieze, which will take place in just a few weeks, coinciding instead with the major May auctions at Sotheby’s and Phillips. While TEFAF and Independent host the heavy-hitting galleries like White Cube and David Zwirner, Future Fair and NADA offer the best look at some of the newest and most exciting artists working today.

In its sophomore edition, Future Fair has increased its footprint and exhibitor list, moving to a larger building in Chelsea and expanding its exhibitors by 50 percent to nearly 60 participants. As with the inaugural year, exhibitors shared their booths and several embraced the collaborative spirit by co-curating their spaces. Based on the crowds at the VIP opening on Wednesday evening, there’s no doubt the fair would benefit from a much bigger space next year.

Installation view of Galerie Nicolas Robert’s booth at Future Fair. Photo courtesy Galerie Nicolas Robert

Future Fair exhibitors brought an exciting selection of emerging artists, most of which were unknown to me, like Maude Corriveau, a Montreal-based artist whose stunning paintings were on display in Galerie Nicolas Robert’s booth. With rich shades of iridescent purple blended with hints of red and blue, her paintings of sparse still lifes draped in silky fabric immediately caught my eye. Though made with oil paint, the shimmering surfaces appeared to vibrate, as if they were digital.

Installation view of Garvey|Simon and Raft of Sanity’s booth at Future Fair. Photo courtesy the galleries

Female abstract artists were a popular choice for exhibitors, like Caroline Denervaud, whose geometric, charcoal drawings amazed viewers at Double V Gallery, and Sandy Litchfield, whose colorful paintings were on view in Garvey|Simon’s booth. Garvey|Simon was also a perfect example of how well exhibitors can work together. Litchfield’s paintings were joined by colorful mixed media sculptures by Roberley Bell presented by Raft of Sanity. The curved lines and modular structure of Bell’s works complemented the geometric shapes of Litchfield’s paintings.

Installation view of Massey Klein’s booth at Future Fair. Photo courtesy Massey Klein

Another standout example of female abstraction was Massey Klein’s presentation of paintings by Bethany Czarnecki. Applying layers of oil paint in thin patches that almost resemble watercolors, Czarnecki’s works recall Helen Frankenthaler’s soak-stain paintings. Czarnecki’s earthy colors are fitting for the nature-inspired titles like Frond and Grotto. Also aptly named, Petal (2022) was a highlight of the booth with layers of pink, yellow and orange taking the shape of a delicate flower petal.

Installation view of 1800 Happy Birthday at NADA. Photo courtesy WORTHLESSSTUDIOS and EVEN/ODD

Across town, NADA returned after a four-year break and took over the sprawling building at Pier 36. With 120 exhibitors from 18 countries, the fair showcased a wide range of artists and trends. By far the most powerful display at NADA was 1800 Happy Birthday, an upcycled phone booth that played birthday voicemails for people of color killed by police violence. The project was first started as a digital archive in 2020 by EVEN/ODD and was transformed along with WORTHLESSSTUDIOS for the installation at NADA. Friends, family and strangers have been leaving powerful and heartbreaking voicemails for the people whose lives were taken, referred to as celebrants instead of victims. The phone booth plays these messages and was created in partnership with the celebrants’ families, specifically those of Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Eric Garner, Oscar Julius Grant III, Xzavier D. Hill, Sean Monterrosa and Mario Woods. In September, WORTHLESSSTUDIOS will stage an exhibition in its space in Brooklyn that will include 12 phone booths and films about the celebrants.

Installation view of The Pit’s booth at NADA. Photo courtesy Annabel Keenan

Working my way through the fair, one thing became very clear: female abstract artists stood out once again. A highlight were the abstract, mixed media paintings by Heather Day, on view in The Pit’s booth. Day often takes inspiration from the vibrant California skies and sunsets in her works, which she creates by pouring, pushing and pulling the paint across the surface of her stitched-together canvases.

Installation view of Olympia’s booth at NADA. Photo courtesy Annabel Keenan

In the NADA Projects section, which features small booths, New York’s Olympia displayed a solo presentation of colorful, mixed media works by Yura Adams. Combining acrylic with a range of materials including mylar, wood and textiles, Adams’ pieces are abstract, yet she weaves in hints of semi-recognizable imagery like lightning bolts and clouds, making her work seem familiar.

While I was most impressed by the female abstract artists, there were many other styles at both NADA and Future Fair. Between the two fairs, there was very little overlap in artists. Even after seeing nearly 200 exhibitors, the booths remained surprisingly unique. The same rang true across all four fairs. What was clear from New York’s inaugural Art Week is that every level of the art world is booming.

Future Fair is located at Chelsea Industrial, 535 W 28th Street and runs through May 7th. NADA takes place at Pier 36 and runs through May 8th.