Curator Adriana Farietta On Why CONDUCTOR Is the Fair the Art World Needs Right Now

With onsite fabrication, approachable price points and a focus on equity, it is challenging some of the art world's most entrenched assumptions.

This week, New York City sees the launch of a brand new art fair: CONDUCTOR, at Brooklyn’s Powerhouse Arts. In an art world that seems to be reevaluating all its previous business models, CONDUCTOR is one to watch, “featuring individual artists and galleries across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and Indigenous Nations around the globe, foregrounding critical perspectives from the Global Majority at a decisive cultural moment.” More remarkable is the fact that some of the work for sale this weekend will have been made on site. The fair was curated by Adriana Farietta in collaboration with Powerhouse Arts, and we caught up with her to hear about the practicalities of this ambitious model.

(Adriana Farietta) - 

We actually have six artists at CONDUCTOR participating in Venice this year. Across the leadership of the fair, we had some insider intel as to what artists and galleries were generating a buzz ahead of the Venice Biennale announcements. With artists like Tammy Nguyen and Ebony G. Patterson, PHA has had a longstanding relationship and the pleasure of collaborating in other capacities in the past. The organization had already been in discussions with them about forthcoming projects, and thus the connection to CONDUCTOR came very naturally.

With others, like RojoNegro (María Sosa and Noé Martínez), Beya Gille Gacha, Bugarin + Castle and Annalee Davis, the Venice Biennale connection was serendipitous. We were already seeking the best and the brightest to represent their respective regions, so it was a welcome validation that they were identified as ambassadors on such a global level through Koyo Kouoh and the Biennale. Between Eric Shiner and I, we were able to secure three artists who will go on to represent their countries in Venice! I believe this speaks to the rigor we’ve undertaken in seeking out artists whose works resonate fundamentally across borders.

https://observer.com/2026/04/interview-curator-adriana-farietta-conductor-art-fair-powerhouse-arts/