Searching for an Idea at Pulse Art Fair
Alissa Guzman
The May art fairs that took place this past weekend, from the massive Frieze tent on Randall’s Island to the smaller satellite fairs spread throughout the city, reminded me of what it’s like to attend New York Fashion Week. While there’s more wrong with the proceedings than right, we grudgingly disregard commercial excess in pursuit of seeing or buying exciting and enticing works of art. Even my gynecologist, a wealthy, multiple-house-owning, art-collecting Upper-East-Sider, explained to me recently that while he doesn’t like buying art at art fairs because they are “impersonal” and “predictable,” he attends them nonetheless.
Frieze New York might have been particularly joyless this year as compared to last, but Pulse, accommodating over 50 exhibitors and located in Chelsea’s versatile Manhattan Pavilion, seemed to deliver the same overall experience; it’s nothing if not consistent. Pulse feels vibrant, energetic, and young. It’s colorful and materially experimental, and there are enough differences between the galleries to ensure a variety of aesthetics. The DIY look that’s prevalent at so many art fairs doesn’t dominate at Pulse — it’s more of a place where highbrow meets lowbrow and everything in between. Not all of the artwork at Pulse is interesting, but it’s also harder to become numb to one particular kind.