At the Armory Show in New York, psychic medium Sarah Potter is offering tarot card readings at the booth of Chicago's Carrie Secrist Gallery using a deck designed by the feminist art collective Hilma's Ghost. The collective, formed during lockdown by abstract artists Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray, created "Abstract Futures Tarot," a series of 78 gouache, ink, and colored pencil paintings inspired by pioneering abstractionist Hilma af Klint and the Rider–Waite tarot deck by Pamela Colman Smith. The works, priced at $4,000 each, are the result of 500 hours of collaborative painting, and the deck is also sold in a limited edition of 300, with 215 already sold.
This story matters because it highlights the growing intersection of contemporary art, spiritualism, and feminist practice, tapping into a resurgence of interest in occult and mystical themes in the art world. The success of Hilma's Ghost at a major fair like the Armory Show—with half the works already sold and strong collector demand—signals a market appetite for art that channels historical female figures and alternative spiritual traditions. It also underscores how artist collectives formed during the pandemic are finding commercial and critical traction.