The Armory Show’s press preview was a stark reminder of the art world’s preoccupation with financial success, with one curator casually mentioning they were 'obsessed with running.'

A walk through Lower Manhattan revealed the stark contrast between the opulence of the New Museum’s retrospective and the harsh realities of drug addiction just a stone’s throw away.

Meanwhile, the serene mood at the New York art fair was a far cry from the chaos of the Venice Biennale, where national pavilions were criticized for their systemic failures.

Despite the beauty of the Harlem River and the serene Manhattan skyline, the city’s art scene was marked by a mix of hope and despair, with one store selling motivational jackets and a woman reading Flannery O'Connor's work, perhaps finding solace.