PULSE New York Contemporary Art Fair 2011

The 2011 edition of the PULSE New York Contemporary Art Fair took place at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan’s Chelsea District, marking an important moment in the fair’s evolution under the direction of Cornell DeWitt. The move to this centrally located venue placed PULSE within easy reach of both the Chelsea gallery district and New York’s major transit hubs, reinforcing its role during the city’s busy Armory Arts Week. Approximately fifty contemporary galleries participated in the main fair and the IMPULSE section, presenting a mix of established and emerging artists from across the international contemporary art scene. In terms of what was on view, the fair was utterly dominated by two-dimensional works — from paintings on canvas to small drawings on paper and large-scale photographs — and one of the clear dominant trends of that fair season was a marked return of figurative, emotional painting. Known for emphasizing discovery and experimentation, PULSE 2011 showcased a wide range of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, installation, and kinetic works. Critics noted the strong presence of emerging galleries and younger artists, while visitors encountered works ranging from David Ellis’s sound-producing kinetic sculptures to figurative paintings, large-scale photographs, and inventive mixed-media installations. The fair maintained its reputation as a bridge between major blue-chip art fairs and more experimental satellite events, offering collectors and curators an accessible overview of contemporary artistic trends and new talent during one of New York’s most important weeks for contemporary art. Participating galleries included the likes of Carrie Secrist Gallery and Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects.