Vibe Check? Inside Collectible Fair’s U.S. Debut with Co-Founders Liv Vaisberg and Clélie Debehault

It's back to school for the art world with fairs across the city exhibiting some of their noteworthy artists to the world stage, and by stage, I mean Javits Center and the swanky Battery Maritime Building where two of the highly engaged fairs took place - Independent's 20th-century edition and Armory. Some to note were the many debuts the gallery had (specifically Gomide&Co, presenting the debut booth of Julia Isidrez and Maria Lira Marques—a must-see at Independent or another debut booth of Berry Campbell's grouping of Female Abstract Expressionists at Armory). Seemingly, the fairs are starting to catch up on some of the more overlooked yet influential galleries.

One of the more thrilling additions to the city's art calendar was the debut of Collectible. The Belgium-based design fair made its first appearance in America, hosted in the trendy complex by Water Street Associates (WSA) in collaboration with Water Street Projects (WSP). The venue, featuring two floors filled with sectioned areas, provided a platform for galleries and designers to present their works from across the globe. The fair's focus on independent artists and studios, showcased in bespoke booths, sets a new standard that larger art fairs could consider to stay relevant. Notable U.S.-based spaces and studios represented included Room 57 Gallery, Emma Scully Gallery, Nick Poe, and Kouros Maghsoudi.

Stand-out booths like Golem, run by architect Ariel André, gave a glimpse to a necklace with ice cubes on them titled "ooOooOooOh la l'ice" alongside his furniture designs or the malleable colorful "Gooey bags" by Sofia Elias to the Remedios Varo inspired "Strawberry" outdoor installation by Brooklyn-based Nicholas Devlin. Every which way, there was engagement from both the passerby and the booth—from the Main section to the ARCHITECT ⇔ DESIGNER to the Outdoor section that included the hand-sculpted cement Blob Coffee table by designer Hannah Bigeleisen and woodworking creations by Luke Malanet. In exemplary fashion, though, a section focused on more fashion-related presentations curated by Vogue's beloved fashion editor, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.

Collectible in New York brings a refreshing and much-needed approach to how art fairs can be more engaging. The atmosphere felt like a creative collective, with a steady, dynamic crowd that set its own pace, distinguishing itself from other fairs. art currently caught up with Collectible's co-founders Liv Vaisberg and Clélie Debehault to see what the vibes were on this year’s first US show.

Vibe-check for New York's iteration?

The vibes have been great. So many people showed up and were genuinely thankful that we put up such a design show in NYC. We've seen guests from the design world but also other industries like art and fashion, which brought a great energy to the fair. It reminded us of our Brussels opening – same vibe, just different people. That was quite stoking.

What kind of feedback have you been receiving over this opening?

The one thing we heard the most was "New York needed this!" For such a busy week in New York and this being our first iteration, we have to say it was a success.

What are some highlights of the show for someone who has zero clue of where to start?

While our sections are quite straightforward, to help guide people who need somewhere to start, the 3rd floor features the New Guarde section – for organizations that are less than 3 years old. Then Bespoke, for design studios, and Curated, which takes the shape of an exhibition.

On the 4th floor, we have mainly galleries and some curated sections including one for architects who have launched design work or collections, the Fashion section for works that have links with fashion retail, Outdoor for objects intended for outdoor spaces, and of course, WSA's curated space.

What are your personal favorite displays/presentations?

It's hard to pin one work when you run a fair, but the curated sections are all great. We'd recommend checking out the work curated by Mzwakhe Ndlovu platforming artists within WSA's creative community. Also, the Fashion section curated by Gabriella Karafa-Johnson is a first for COLLECTIBLE and naturally overlaps with New York Fashion Week.