The Armory Show was surprisingly serene; held in the colossal Javits Convention Center, the Armory Show felt like a deliciously never-ending experience where turning a corner to find the bathroom brought you to a universe of undiscovered art. It was surprising that a show like this, bustling with New-York-natives and tourists alike, could offer any meditative experiences. But, as with many art displays (and art itself), it transcended the ordinary and nourished the soul.

The Gallerists at The Armory Show

It was my assumption that the booth gallerists would hover like store clerks, but they understood the value of letting visitors peruse in peace. Once you called upon them, they would rise to the momentous occasion, swiftly floating with elegant hand gestures, speaking to the history of their gallery, the meanings behind the works, and the artists themselves. This was, and always has been, my favorite part of any art discovering–the context of the work, the history of the art. At some points during the Armory Show, I saw art that completely transformed in meaning once I’d heard the stories behind them. For example, the Carl Kostyál Gallery was exhibiting enormous, pink-fleshed paintings by artist Marria Pratts. One of these involved three terrifying figures, cloaked in scribbled, pointed black, with haunting white ovals for eyes. As it turns out, the piece was a portrait of Pratts, her wife, and her baby. In fact, all three enormous works displayed were about motherhood.

Installation view (from left): MARRIA PRATTS, APPLE – CLOCK – BIRTH, 2024, oil and pencil on canvas, 90.5h × 78.7w in (230h × 200w cm), MARRIA PRATTS, 1FAMILY, 2024 oil, pencil and neon light on canvas, 122h × 157w in (309.8h × 398.7w cm), MARRIA PRATTS, BLOOM TOGETHER, 2024, oil and pencil, on canvas, 90.5h × 78.7w in (230h × 200w cm) via kostyal.com

The Power of Context at The Armory Show

This context shifted the paintings entirely in my mind–they went from inducing terror to inviting contemplation about the difficulties of motherhood. And, in many ways, this very context increased the value of the pieces for me. It was precisely in these moments I thought of the utility of our platform, ID.ART. The core of ID.ART is a tool that helps augment the value of each work by allowing its publishers/creators to contextualize each piece. For galleries, it’s helpful in a myriad of ways—ID.ART not only tethers the context to the work but also allows art buyers to keep its narrative with them forever.

Traditional Mediums and a Digital Innovation Highlight

The Armory Show was, evidently, brimming with extraordinary art. The art fair seems to favor tactile, traditional mediums like paintings and stretched silks. I saw fewer ceramics and a curious scarcity of digital art. However, the latter thirst was quenched by an incredible accomplishment of .ART’s own official artist, Medina Kasimova. Displaying her mesmerizing work “Depths” in Times Square, Kasimova took part in Art Innovation’s Light Visions series, unique for transforming a historic, Times Square billboard into an open-air, digital art gallery. It’s brilliant, accessible, engaging, and innovative–all the descriptors you want to leave an art-viewing with.

A Weekend of Art

Between the meditative experience of the Armory Show itself and viewing Kasimova’s “Depths”, this art-filled weekend provided that very “nourishment of the soul” I mentioned earlier. Kasimova’s work also serves as a beacon for our Art Therapy Initiative which aims to normalize and popularize art as a healing tool. To reflect the beautiful peace provided by this weekend, we’ve created a relaxing vlog walk-through of the Armory Show and the billboard exhibition.

See you next year!