ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

The Armory Show 2009 Opens Amid Economic Uncertainty

festival-fair · 2026-04-23

The Armory Show 2009 launched today, with artcritical editor David Cohen attending the opening day. As the contemporary art fair began operations, questions emerged about how the art world should navigate the ongoing recession. Observers noted that maintaining an appearance of nonchalance seemed to be the expected response to economic pressures. The fair, known for its primary-market contemporary art focus, continues to operate as a major event despite financial challenges. Cohen documented his experience using an iPhone during the first day of the fair.

Key facts

  • The Armory Show 2009 opened today
  • artcritical editor David Cohen attended the opening
  • The fair is a major contemporary art event
  • The art world is facing a recession
  • Nonchalant behavior is suggested as a response to economic pressures
  • The fair focuses on primary-market contemporary work
  • Cohen documented the event with his iPhone
  • The article was published on artcritical.com

Entities

Institutions

  • artcritical
  • The Armory Show

Sources