In its sophomore year at its new location, Pier 94 on New York City’s Hudson River, The Photography Show, presented by AIPAD, did not disappoint. In its 38th year overall, the show has expanded its offerings in the new space and this year featured 96 galleries, 30 book sellers, 15 AIPAD talks, three special exhibitions, one screening room and much more for visitors to the event, which took place from Thursday, April 4th through Sunday, April 8th.

Work by Reine Paradis at Galerie Catherine et Andre Hug. Photo by Anders Jones

The three special exhibitions, spread out within the fair, each offered a unique presentation of work and functioned as hubs of atmosphere. The Forever Young exhibition featured work from the collection of Joseph Baio and was installed salon-style on the interior and exterior of two walls with a large dark red wall at its center. Photographs of all sizes, almost exclusively of people, ran from floor to ceiling, while couches, an oriental rug and a few antiques created a comfortable domestic feel. All Power: Visual Legacies of the Black Panther Party, a collection of works from Photographic Center Northwest, included a substantial amount of text on the walls of their exhibition. Direct quotes from the Black Panther Party’s own statements on their political platform, which helped to illuminate the work on view, were a highlight.

Installation view of curated section by Sir Elton John, A Time for Reflection. Photo by Anders Jones

Finally, a sold-out curated section by Sir Elton John, A Time for Reflection, offered a delightful insight into John’s photographic eye and variety of work. Mirrors, window shades with shadows, and frosted glass all played with the exhibition’s theme. Meanwhile Gordon Parks’, American Gothic, Washington D.C. 1942, offered commentary on our current political moment, and Elinor Carucci’s, Kiss, dealt with relationships and intimacy.

Nobuyoshi Araki - Dead Reality. Photo by Anders Jones

The laidback yet bustling nature of the photobook section of the fair offered an opportunity for visitors to purchase, peruse, and chat with booksellers. One highlight was a collaborative project produced by Smith Andersen North & Little Big Man Books. Titled, Nobuyoshi Araki - Dead Reality, the work features eighteen hand pulled copper plate photogravures, case bound in a custom display box, signed and numbered by the artist in a limited edition run of 50. For this project, Araki, a legendary Japanese photographer and contemporary artist, shot images in Okinawa, Japan in 1972 with 35mm film, deliberated distressed the film canisters, and then let them sit for 2-3 years before developing them. The results are gorgeous abstract, one-of-a-kind permutations to his black and white imagery, enhanced by a 47-step printing process involving an etching press, copper plates, a series of acid baths and more.

Work by Karine Laval at Robert Koch Gallery. Photo by Anders Jones

The special exhibitions and photobook sections of the fair anchored a vast grid of gallery booths that elegantly flowed like streets and avenues with cafes along the way, for moments of conversation and reflection. From contemporary, documentary, experimental, and fine art photography to political, playful, abstract and interactive content, the international collection of galleries presenting at The Photography Show this year offered plenty of visual satisfaction.

Photo by Anders Jones