The Sky High Farm Biennial, curated by former Downtown art star Dan Colen, opened in a cold storage warehouse in Germantown, N.Y., featuring over 160 works by 50 artists across two floors. The exhibition is loosely themed around humanity's relationship with the natural world, with immersive installations by Anne Imhof (a maze of cider crates) and Rudolf Stingel (a mirrored floor requiring paper booties). Highlights include works by Nan Goldin, Thiago Rocha Pitta, Stephen Lichty, Carrol Dunham, Pia Camil, and Ann Craven. The show balances informal and polished elements, offering a breezy summer experience while serving as a thesis on artist community.
This biennial matters because it represents a hybrid model blending commercial and non-commercial art world practices. All works are for sale, with artists receiving payment and a portion of proceeds going to Sky High Farm, Colen's regenerative farming and food justice nonprofit. The exhibition challenges the typical dynamic where artists contribute to shows and fundraisers without compensation, offering instead a sustainable ecosystem where they gain both financial reward and the visibility of a curated thematic exhibition. It also reflects Colen's evolution from the "indie sleaze"/Vice era of New York to a gentleman farmer mode, and serves as a statement on the legacy of the Naughty Oughties in contemporary art.