NEW YORK, NY.- The Armory Show announced today a new vision for the 2017 edition aimed at enhancing the quality of artwork on display, fostering young galleries and staging ambitious projects that activate and draw inspiration from the fair’s unique industrial venue on Piers 92 & 94 in Midtown Manhattan.

“The Armory Show is one of America’s oldest and most popular art fairs and a true destination on the international art circuit,” says Executive Director Benjamin Genocchio. “We want to be much more than a platform for the commercial, we want to play a greater intellectual role in the artistic life of New York, expanding our talks, programs, performances and commissioning of new artworks.”

Beginning in 2017, The Armory Show will encourage more thoughtful, tightly curated presentations through the introduction of new and evolved exhibitor sections and programming. The fair will increase its engagement with prominent international curators in the selection of artists and galleries, emphasizing solo-artist presentations, new projects and commissions.

Among the key developments for 2017, The Armory Show and The Armory Show – Modern will merge into a single fair for 20th and 21st century artworks with Galleries forming the core section of the fair. The former Modern section, established in 2009, will transition into Insights, a more concentrated presentation of solo-artist, dual-artist or thematic exhibitions of 20th century artworks. The successful Presents section will expand as a powerful platform for emerging galleries to showcase new work through solo- and dual-artist booths. After seven editions spotlighting artists from specific geographical regions, the Focus section will evolve to encompass solo and curated presentations of new or rarely seen artworks by today’s most compelling artists, selected by an appointed curator. The 2017 edition will introduce Platform, a new curatorial initiative devoted to large-scale artworks, installations and performances that respond to and engage the expansive industrial spaces of Piers 92 & 94. Through Armory Live, visitors will experience interactive talks, performances and screenings at the fair and online.

Galleries
Established modern and contemporary galleries present outstanding 20th and 21st century artworks.

Insights
Leading international galleries feature solo-artist, dual-artist or thematic exhibitions that spotlight 20th century masterworks alongside artistic rediscoveries.

Presents
This section provides a platform for emerging galleries no more than ten years old to showcase fresh talent through solo- and dual-artist presentations.

Focus
This invitation-only section is devoted to solo and curated presentations of new or rarely seen work by today’s most relevant and compelling artists. Focus is organized by an appointed curator.

Platform
Participating galleries realize large-scale artworks, installations and performances that respond to and activate the expansive industrial spaces of Piers 92 & 94. Platform is organized by an appointed curator.

Armory Live
This curated, interactive program encompasses talks, performances and screenings at the fair and online.

The Armory Show was founded in 1994 by four New York dealers as a platform for cutting edge contemporary art. The new vision for the 2017 edition reaffirms and extends the fair’s distinct identity as a New York institution and a sophisticated, adventurous destination on the international art fair calendar. “We are known as a dynamic space of encounter, where you can see established galleries showing alongside emerging ones,” says Mr. Genocchio. “We are going to streamline and build on that, keeping the discovery element while expanding the curation and tightening up the quality.”

“We are a New York fair with an international reach,” says Mr. Genocchio. “We want to create new and exciting opportunities and experiences for our exhibitors and visitors—experiences like no other art fair. We’ve got over 200,000 square feet of open plan space with 40 foot ceilings; this provides a tremendous opportunity to present artworks that activate and engage the space.”

Other developments for the 2017 edition include a newly established Advisory Panel that will lend a fresh perspective to the selection of Presents exhibitors. Presents panelists include: Augusto Arbizo (11R, New York), Raphael Oberhuber (KOW, Berlin), Jessica Silverman (Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco) and existing Selection Committee member Philippe Charpentier (mor charpentier, Paris).