ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Independent Art Fair Moves to Pier 36, Goes Global

festival-fair · 2026-05-15

The Independent art fair has relocated to Pier 36 on the Lower East Side for its 17th edition, running through May 17. The fair now features 76 booths and a more cosmopolitan, international feel compared to its previous hyperlocal downtown editions at Spring Street Studios in Tribeca. The venue offers a more spacious, airy environment. The fair has recently announced partnerships with Sotheby's for its 20th-century edition moving to the Marcel Breuer building, and with Henry Street Settlement. Notable booths include SGR Gallery (Bogotá) presenting Johan Samboní's exploration of the 'colonial wound'; i8 Gallery (Reykjavík) featuring Arna Óttarsdóttir's hand-woven works; Abattoir (Cleveland) with Eleanor Conover's hybrid painting-sculptures; Sea View (Los Angeles) showing William Wright's intimate canvases; The Breeder (Athens) exhibiting works by the late Alexandra Christou; and Tomio Koyama Gallery (Tokyo) presenting Rika Minamitani's fantastical paintings. The fair's opening night on May 14 drew hundreds of attendees. Critics note a tamer, more respectable energy compared to previous years.

Key facts

  • Independent Art Fair is held at Pier 36 for the first time.
  • The fair runs through Sunday, May 17.
  • Opening night was May 14.
  • The fair features 76 booths.
  • It is the 17th edition of the fair.
  • The fair has partnered with Sotheby's for its 20th-century edition.
  • The fair has partnered with Henry Street Settlement.
  • SGR Gallery is the first Colombian gallery and only Latin American gallery at the fair.

Entities

Artists

  • Johan Samboní
  • Arna Óttarsdóttir
  • Eleanor Conover
  • William Wright
  • Alexandra Christou
  • Rika Minamitani
  • Jeanette Hayes
  • Tony Cokes
  • Rei Kawakubo
  • Matthew Higgs
  • Silvia Heyden
  • Omar Mismar
  • Julia Maiuri
  • Terri Friedman
  • Brittany Mojo
  • Oscar yi Hou
  • Kikuo Saito
  • Al Held
  • Gretchen Bender
  • Diego Miró-Rivera
  • Charles Moffett
  • James Fuentes

Institutions

  • Independent Art Fair
  • Sotheby's
  • Henry Street Settlement
  • SGR Gallery
  • i8 Gallery
  • Abattoir
  • Sea View
  • The Breeder
  • Tomio Koyama Gallery
  • Diane Rosenstein Gallery
  • Galerie Buchmann
  • White Columns
  • Hyperallergic
  • Comme des Garçons
  • Independent
  • Spring Studios
  • Pier 36
  • Charles Moffett Gallery
  • Secci
  • Gallery 12.26
  • Mindy Solomon
  • James Fuentes Gallery
  • U-Haul Gallery
  • Tefaf
  • Frieze

Locations

  • New York City
  • United States
  • Pier 36
  • Lower East Side
  • Tribeca
  • Spring Street Studios
  • Marcel Breuer building
  • Madison Avenue
  • Upper East Side
  • Battery Maritime Building
  • Bogotá
  • Colombia
  • Reykjavík
  • Iceland
  • Cleveland
  • Ohio
  • Los Angeles
  • California
  • Athens
  • Greece
  • Tokyo
  • Japan
  • Cali
  • Maine
  • London
  • New York
  • East River
  • Milan
  • Dallas
  • Miami
  • Texas
  • Hill Country

Sources