Art

First Look: Highlights from TEFAF New York 2025

TEFAF New York 2025 previews 23 standout works ahead of its May edition, featuring rare pieces by Fontana, Calder, Nangala, Imhof, and Giacometti.

Por: Angela Leon Cervera April 29, 2025

Ahead of its official opening on May 9–13 (VIP preview on May 8), TEFAF New York 2025 has unveiled a “First Look” at 23 exceptional artworks to be shown at the Park Avenue Armory. With 91 exhibitors from 13 countries and 4 continents, this edition promises a vibrant mix of modern and contemporary art, jewelry, antiquities, and design.

The First Look selection spans centuries and media, from Emma Reyes’s botanical symbolism to Anne Imhof’s allegorical bronze reliefs, offering a microcosm of the fair’s ambitious scope. TEFAF will also feature curated presentations within the Armory’s period rooms, enhancing its unique mix of history and innovation.

What Are Some Key Highlights from the First Look?

Emma Reyes, White Poppy (1979) — A symbol of peace rendered in delicate botanical form, shown by Leon Tovar Gallery
Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale, Attesa (1965) — A piercing monochrome evoking space and spiritual transcendence, shown by Tornabuoni Art
Alberto Giacometti, Masque coiffure (c. 1933) — A plaster mask created for Jean-Michel Frank, showcasing his early design work, presented by Galerie Marcilhac
Mantua Nangala, Untitled (2024) — An acrylic-on-linen desert cosmography rooted in ancestral Aboriginal knowledge, from Salon 94
Anne Imhof, Untitled (Silas) (2024) — A bronze relief blending Renaissance aesthetics with nuclear-age anxiety, presented by Sprüth Magers
Daniel Richter, Triumpf des Höhnischen (2024) — An electrifying oil painting with fragmented, surreal forms, shown by Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Park Seo-Bo, Ecriture No. 31-75 (1975) — A rhythmic, calligraphic abstraction from the master of Korean Dansaekhwa, with Tina Kim Gallery

Which Mediums and Movements Are Represented?

The preview offers a dazzling material range—from Robert Cottingham’s photorealism to Line Vautrin’s talosel mirror craft and Zaha Hadid’s fluid design object. It also draws attention to often underrepresented art histories:

Marie Laurencin’s queer modernism
Valérie John’s Caribbean palimpsests (see Robilant+Voena’s booth)
Taher Asad-Bakhtiari’s Iranian textile innovation
A Roman marble head, c. 2nd century AD, from Charles Ede
Louis Comfort Tiffany’s iconic Wisteria Table Lamp (1905), presented by DeLorenzo Gallery

These juxtapositions between ancient, modern, and contemporary art reflect TEFAF’s commitment to cross-temporal collecting and deep connoisseurship.

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What to Expect from TEFAF New York 2025

TEFAF New York remains a flagship moment for art lovers, collectors, and institutions.

The fair is known for its rigorous vetting process and interdisciplinary offerings, from museum-quality antiquities to cutting-edge design. Expect an atmosphere of layered aesthetics, global representation, and scholarly curating.

Visitors will navigate exhibits across both the Wade Thompson Drill Hall and the Armory’s historic period rooms, designed with sensitivity by Tom Postma Design.

FAQ – TEFAF New York 2025

When is TEFAF New York 2025? May 9–13, with VIP Preview Day on May 8.
Where is it held? Park Avenue Armory, New York City.
How many exhibitors are participating? 91 galleries from 13 countries.
What does the First Look feature? A curated selection of 23 artworks, previewing the fair’s range in modern, contemporary, and historical objects.
Who are some standout artists? Lucio Fontana, Anne Imhof, Emma Reyes, Daniel Richter, Mantua Nangala, and Giacometti.

TEFAF New York’s 2025 First Look reveals a thoughtfully curated offering of museum-worthy works across disciplines and geographies. With standout pieces by icons and underrecognized voices alike, this edition invites viewers to explore not just what art is—but what it remembers, dreams, and disrupts.