New York Christens New Contemporary Art Fair, Esther

Courtesy of the New York Estonian House.

By Sam Gaskin – 4 March 2024, New York

New York gallery Margot Samel and Temnikova & Kasela, from Tallinn, Estonia, have announced a new art fair called ‘Esther’.

The boutique fair, which describes itself as ‘alternative’, was conceived by gallery founders Margot Samel and Olga Temnikova. They took inspiration from events such as Basel Social Club and Condo.

It will feature 25 galleries when it takes place for the first time at Manhattan’s New York Estonian House from 1–4 May.

Courtesy New York Estonian House.

Participating galleries include: Andrew Kreps Gallery and Richard Saltoun, who have spaces in New York; BANK from Shanghai; and Gathering and Seventeen from London.

The event, which is free to the public, will present artworks, installations, and performances in the entrance hall, meeting rooms, grand halls, and clubrooms of the four-story Beaux-Arts building. Details of specific projects will be announced in early April.

New York Estonian House, which is located at 243 East 34th Street, was designed by Brooklyn architect Thomas A. Gray in 1899. It served as a civic club for working-class citizens before being acquired by the Estonian Social Society in 1943 and became a gathering place for Estonian refugees after World War II. —[O]

Main image: Courtesy of the New York Estonian House.

Sam Gaskin Sam Gaskin has covered contemporary art for over a decade, mostly from Shanghai, China.