NEW YORK, NY.- Following PULSE’s largest show to date in Miami 2008, described by critics as the City’s new ‘second’ fair after Art Basel Miami Beach, PULSE New York returns to Pier 40 in Greenwich Village, March 5-8, 2009, concurrent with The Armory Show. The fourth New York edition of PULSE is the most diverse to date, presenting 99 exhibitors from 25 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Making their first appearance are leading international galleries ColletPark, Paris; Habana, Havana City; and Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Singapore, among others. They join blue-chip veteran PULSE exhibitors including Faurschou, Beijing and Copenhagen; Galerie Ernst Hilger/Hilger Contemporary, Vienna; Nina Menocal, Mexico City; and Perugi Artecontemporanea, Padua.

“In just four years PULSE New York has emerged to become the City’s largest art fair dedicated entirely to contemporary art” said Helen Allen, Executive Director of PULSE. “Pulse, bridges the gap between main and alternative fairs, and focuses on showcasing new works. As part of our commitment to innovation, this year we have expanded the cultural program to include video, performance, large scale installations, and a new series of informal talks given by artists and curators which will address many of the communication, socio-economic and gender issues confronting artists today.”

As part of the expanded installation program R. Luke DuBois, presented by Bitforms Gallery NYC, will install a series of 43 large scale light boxes, which initially debuted at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, outside the entrance of the Fair. This year’s unprecedented number of 18 large-scale sculptures and installations will be presented in public spaces throughout the Fair. The entrance will feature a 42 foot tunnel designed and executed by Julian Lwin entitled Babylon NY.

PULSE PLAY>, the video art lounge, returns for its fourth edition, with Random Rules, organized by Athens-based independent critic and curator Marina Fokidis. The exhibition encompasses established and emerging artists including Andrea Angelidakis, Keren Cytter, Rodney Graham, Annika Larsson and Miltos Manetas in an exploration of the cultural phenomenon of YouTube. PULSE PERFORMANCE features a performance by Miriam Cabessa curated by Maureen Sullivan, and Gary Carsley’s Institute for Kontemporary Esthetic Arousal, which debuted at the 2008 Singapore Biennale. Also returning is an exhibition of MFA students’ works from Parsons School of Design curated by Eva Diaz, Senior Curator at Art in General.

The PULSE Collectors’ Lounge, designed by Brad Ascalon Studio, New York, incorporates classical and minimalist design elements, featuring a site-specific ambient soundscape.

Helen Allen will present the PULSE Prize New York 2009 on Saturday, March 7 at 2 pm in a special award ceremony. The PULSE Prize is a $2,500 cash grant that is awarded to an emerging artist selected by the PULSE Committee from those exhibiting in the IMPULSE section of the Fair.