How Does an Art Fair Stand Apart? TEFAF NY Has an Answer.

In a crowded week in New York every May, the question always remains: How does an art fair stand apart? Frieze has a claim on sheer size, holding down Hudson Yards with a behemoth art fair dedicated to all things contemporary. NADA in Chelsea nurtures new artists, while boutique “anti-fairs” like Clio and Independent may attract first-time collectors. But The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF), holding down the Upper East Side at the Park Avenue Armory, stands out for its incredible breadth: Modernist paintings, contemporary sculpture, ancient artifacts, fine jewelry, and covetable design, all under one roof.

TEFAF will return from May 15-19 with 88 dealers and galleries from 14 countries across four continents. Expect to see some of the titans of fine art. Gagosian will be bringing Kathleen Ryan and her bejeweled, rotting fruit sculptures, while Thaddaeus Ropac is championing the work of newcomer Eva Helene Pade who had her first solo show with the gallery in London in 2025. Meanwhile, other galleries are making their own curatorial statements by grouping artists’ work together. Belgian newcomer David Lévy is putting Keith Haring and Willem de Kooning in conversation with each other at their booth, while Voena is pairing Lucio Fontana and Minjung Kim.

Design in particular stands out this year. The London-based gallery Sarah Myerscough, also new to TEFAF NY this year, will present work from 13 artisans; among them is Full Grown, a design studio that crafts chairs based on Shaker designs, shaped into position from hazel, sycamore, and willow trees while they’re still growing. Gomide&Co is bringing the work of Brazilian modernist Lina Bo Bardi, including an ivory wood tea trolly, crafted during the brief existence of Studio d’Arte Palm. Scandinavian design more your thing? Modernity Stockholm has a haul of Finn Juhl treasures including his iconic Chieftain Chair.

For those looking for museum-worthy antiques (including the many museum acquisition teams that attend the fair looking for their next exhibitions), there’s no shortage of treasures. From ancient Egyptian stele to 1st century Roman busts, the fair will have treasures aplenty.