The Spring/Break Art Show, in its ninth year, is a distinctive and alternative art fair known for its elaborate performances, wild installations, and a focus on self-expression over pristine presentations. Held at various unconventional locations over the years, including former Ralph Lauren offices and current offices at 625 Madison Avenue, the fair consistently delivers a "scrappy, DIY, experimental, and a little chaotic" experience. This year's theme, "in excess," encouraged participants to "go for Baroque," leading to maximalist, capitalism-exploring, and over-the-top projects, from a Diet Coke-themed booth to a garden of pregnant *Frozen* dolls. Curators and artists pay a refundable $500 deposit and share a portion of sales, making it accessible for artists without gallery representation.
Notable works included Steffi "Super Future Kid" Homa’s exuberant installation with 2,500 pounds of salt, a neon pink river, and toadstool beanbags, transforming a space into a Candyland through a gingerbread house. Kate Klingbeil's intricate paintings and installation, "Burrow," created an underground lair dense with figures and minute details inspired by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Hieronymous Bosch. Jessica Lichtenstein's immersive pink forest featured birch trees with falling nude female figures, making a statement on hypersexualization and the disposability of women. Other Baroque-inspired pieces, such as "Tableau Vivant" curated by Anna Cone and Victoria Udondian, offered a contemporary take on the style with rich colors and luxuriant materials.
For collectors, the fair offered a range of prices, making art accessible to a broader audience. Pieces could be found for as little as $50, while larger installations, like Z Behl and Kim Moloney's 50-foot-tall woman made of steel, lace, and cheesecloth, were priced at $50,000. Other examples include Louis Sarowsky's carved stone foodstuffs, such as a bagel and lox for $5,500 or a Chicago hot dog for $8,000. Takashi Horisaki's "#Instabonsai C" ceramics, exploring the social media craze for bonsai, were available, as well as Nathan Randall Green's "PIPIP BUBBLE U" for $8,000. Colin J. Radcliffe's small ceramic sculptures of "big-eyed boys" with full frontal nudity were priced between $1,800 and $3,600.
