Armory Art Fair NY 2012 Focus: Nordic Countries

The Armory Show 2012 took place in March at Piers 92 and 94 on the Hudson River in New York City. One of New York's premier international art fairs, The Armory Show brings together galleries from around the world to showcase modern and contemporary art. The 2012 edition continued this tradition, presenting works across two massive pier venues — one dedicated to modern art and one to contemporary — drawing collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts from across the globe during what is widely known as Armory Week in New York. One of the features of that year's edition was the "Armory Focus: Nordic Countries" section. The fair's focus section was devoted to the Nordic art world and included works from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. This section was curated by Jacob Fabricius, director of Malmö Konsthall, who also curated the fair's program of performance and film — the first time the Armory Show had included such a program. Visitors entering the Nordic section were greeted by a large pink neon sign reading "SCANDINAVIAN PAIN," by Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson, hoisted at the head of the nineteen-gallery-strong Nordic section. The piece hung above the Champagne bar, originally shown on top of an abandoned barn in a region of Norway made famous by Edvard Munch, where Kjartansson had performed playing guitar for days with barely a single visitor. The Nordic galleries were unevenly represented, with 7 Danish galleries, 6 Swedish, 4 Norwegian, 1 Finnish, and 1 Icelandic