PULSE New York at the Metropolitan Pavilion

Reaching that very special ten-year milestone, PULSE New York celebrates a decade in action with another strong year of international presence, great artwork and stellar extras beyond the showroom. With a slate of galleries from cities like Paris, London, Seoul, Miami and more, the PULSE art fair continues to do its part to help grow and strengthen the market presence for contemporary art.

First and foremost, there are the galleries. The variety is too diverse to define in any simple set of words: the one general truth among all the galleries is that they are spectacular. Every galley present has a unique voice with at least a few interesting things to say or, in this particular case, to show. There are certainly a few standouts. Waterhouse & Dodd is a popular stopping point along the tour due to their two large pieces from Jean-Francois Rauzier. The works of Kathleen Vance near the entrance draws crowds for the emerging Berlin-based gallery Rockelmann, and Tokyo-based gallery Yuki-sis brings people to standstill with their collection of works by Katsutoshi Yuasa.

Then, there are the extras. The video and new media showcase Play is a nice collection of videos to accompany the event. Lilly McElroy’s A Woman Runs through a Pastoral Setting is especially well-received, a great embodiment of new media and its present direction. The Projects, which are large sculptures or installations, are interesting but some more than others. Carla Gannis and her The Garden of Emoji Delights, a modern twist on Hieronymus Bosch’s piece of a similar name, certainly draws the biggest crowds with its large and beautiful presence.

For an event that isn’t free, this may be one of the best value in New York City. This is basically access to 50 different gallery spaces from all over the world, not including all the specialty displays like the video projects, large-scale pieces and, if applicable, round-table discussions. There are a few fails in the details, but there aren’t enough to stain the experience even a little bit. This is a must for art lovers.

Robert Malone 

PULSE New York is at the Metropolitan Pavilion until 8^th March, 2015, for more information visit here.