Independent 20th Century art fair opens at Sotheby’s Breuer Building

The fifth edition of the Independent 20th Century art fair has opened at the Breuer Building in Manhattan, the former home of the Whitney Museum and current headquarters of Sotheby’s. The fair has expanded to 57 exhibitors, moving toward a museum-style experience with discrete galleries rather than traditional corridors.

This year’s fair focuses on reframing the 20th-century canon by highlighting overlooked or diverse artists. Notable presentations include the ‘Black Soho’ booth, co-produced by Ryan Lee and Salon 94, which celebrates the Black artistic history of the neighborhood through works by artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Emma Amos, and David Hammons, alongside archives from the Billops-Hatch Collection.

Other featured artists include Swiss researcher and healer Emma Kunz, whose geometric drawings are presented by Hauser & Wirth, and the artist collective General Idea. The fair also showcases works by Surrealist Manina and Pop artist Rosalyn Drexler, emphasizing a trend toward inclusivity regarding female, queer, and outsider artists.