Still on the fence about whether or not you should go to the best contemporary art fair New York has to offer? Perhaps these highlights will get you over the hump. Frieze New York is not your typical stuffy old fair. This year its full of fun, interactive installations, and talks with colorful characters. It’s basically like a trip to an amusement part for the art curious.

Tribute to the Flux-Labyrinth (1976-2015)

Photograph by Marco Scozzaro. Courtesy of Marco
Scozzaro/Frieze.

Frieze Projects’ tribute to Flux-Labyrinth is our favorite thing at this year’s art fair. Originally conceived by Fluxus founding member George Maciunas in collaboration with other artists of the movement including Nam June Paik and Ay-O, the work is an immersive maze-like obstacle course that viewers journey through. The version found at Frieze features some of the original interventions as well as new elements created by contemporary artists. If you find a queue, it’s absolutely worth the wait.

Korakrit Arunanondchai’s denim massage chairs (growing up together)

Korakrit Arunanondchai’s denim
massage chairs (growing up together)

Who isn’t in need of a little massage action in the middle of an art fair? Arunanondchai’s Frieze Project consists of a series of high-tech massage chairs upholstered in bleached denim. Positioned throughout the fair grounds, visitors are invited to grab a seat and let their knots be worked on while they listen to a hypnotic soundtrack. We weren’t able to take part ourselves, but it looked like people were really enjoying their respite.

Pia Camil’s Wearing-watching

Pia Camil’s Wearing-watching. Photograph by Marco
Scozzaro. Courtesy of Marco Scozzaro/Frieze

A select group of fair goers who are willing to queue will be able to take part in Pia Camil’s Frieze Project which involves ‘habitat paintings’ inspired by Hélio Oiticica’s Parangolé. Beautifully appointed wearable fabrics designed by the artist will be given out to attendees for free each day at 12pm and 3pm. The expectation is that recipients will wear their artworks as they enjoy the fair.

Aki Sasmoto’s Coffee/Tea

Japanese artist Aki Sasmoto invites visitors to answer a series of questions in the maze-like structure she has created for her Frieze Project. Participants begin by answering: coffee or tea? And then pass through a series of rooms and doors answering more questions along the way. Upon exit, a personality-type is revealed based on the path taken. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Myers-Briggs.

Martha Araújo’s Para um corpo nas suas impossibilidades (For a body in Its impossibilities, 1985)

Photograph by Marco Scozzaro.
Courtesy of Marco Scozzaro/Frieze.

Martha Araújo’s installation is part of the Frieze Frame section and features a velcro suit and a skateboard ramp lined with velcro. Visitors can put on the suit and jump at the ramp at their own risk. Araújo, who hails from Brazil, is known for her works that incite active participation and experiment with textile garments. This project was made possible by Galeria Jaqueline Martins.

Jonathan Horowitz’s 700 Dots

Gavin Brown’s Enterprise’s booth at Frieze has been given over to Jonathan Horowitz’s 700 Dots project. For this work, the artist-provocateur enlisted the help of hired hands/fair goers to paint a single black dot on a canvas. The dots will be sold by the gallery in lots of 100 and each “painter” received a $20 payment on a check hand-drawn by Horowitz. Some of Horowitz’s past projects include “Free Store”, where people were invited to bring stuff/take stuff, and “Your Land/My Land: Election ’12”, which coincided with the 2012 American presidential election and was staged simultaneously at seven museums across the United States.

Kris Lemasalu’s Whole Alone 2

For Estonian artist Kris Lemasalu’s contribution to Frieze, she will be lying on a waterbed under a giant porcelain turtle shell. Yep, this one is a little out there, but it furthers Lemasalu’s fascination of artistic presence in a sci-fi psychedelic setting. The work is part of Frieze Frame and is supported by Temnikova & Kasela.

Frieze Talk: Ask Jerry

Jerry Saltz is quite a character. During Art Basel the 64-year old New York Magazine art critic posted a series of tweets that had journalists referring to him as the Jonathan Swift of Social Media, and earlier this year his Facebook account was suspended for some racy posts. Can’t a guy just have a little fun? Frieze has invited him to do a lengthly Q&A session. If you have a question to ask, just tweet it and include #askJerry.

Frieze Talk: Paul McCarthy & Leigh Ledare

Paul McCarthy and Leigh Ledare are not afraid to be controversial. Ledare has taken photographs of his mother having sex and McCarthy caused quite a stir with his debaucherous Snow White-inspired installation at the Park Avenue Armory. For Frieze, they will be discussing their taboo-breaking ways with Whitney curator Chrissie Iles. Things could get heated.

(Frieze New York runs May 14-17 at Randall’s Island. Tickets are $44)