David Zwirner sold a mixed-media work by Njideka Akunyili Crosby for $2.8 million to a European foundation at the highest reported price of the fair. A painting by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye moved for $1.5 million. Gagosian placed works by Ed Ruscha, Alex Israel, Jonas Wood, and Mary Weatherford in the six-to-seven figure range. White Cube sold three major sculptures from its solo presentation of Antony Gormley, while eight galleries sold out their presentations entirely. Pieces priced between $75,000 and $500,000 proved the most consistently active segment of the market.
Institutional acquisitions were also particularly strong. About 160 museum representatives were reported on the lookout for collection-worthy pieces. To name a few, the City of Santa Monica Art Bank purchased a work by Erica Mahinay, and the California African American Museum Acquisition Fund acquired works by Jessica Taylor Bellamy and Zenobia Lee.
Community-centric programs were a mainstay of the fair, perhaps in a more concerted effort to support West Coast creators recovering from the past year’s challenges. The Focus section reappeared as a platform for solo presentations from United States-based galleries operating for 12 years or fewer.
