There is never a bad time to see contemporary art in New York City, but those in town during Frieze are always in for a treat. From May 13 to 17, the massive art fair will take place at The Shed in Chelsea, marking the 15th year Frieze has gathered top galleries, artists and art appreciators in the Big Apple. With over 65 galleries included, drawn from 26 countries, there is no shortage of impressive work to see. That being said, such abundance can quickly become overwhelming, which is why we have selected a list of galleries and exhibitions not to be missed.

SEBA CALFUQUEO

If you thought Evanie Frausto’s Showpony was the last you’d see of hair innovation this year, think again. This spring’s fair sees a solo booth from Mapuche artist Seba Calfuqueo, whose Frieze presentation includes several hair-centred works. A member of the Mapuche collective Rangiñtulewfü, Calfuqueo is informed by their indigenous heritage, often exploring themes of feminism and resistance in their practice.

AKI GOTO

Family life and technology are familiar territory for Aki Goto, the Tokyo-born, Hudson Valley-based multimedia artist whose practice includes video, performance, painting, drawing and installation. In Goto’s work, the iPhone lens is a window into motherhood and domesticity, capturing moments that are ordinary but striking. Her Frieze offerings feature iPhone video stills transferred onto dental furniture, evoking the sort of stop-and-store effect the contemporary artist has become known for.

JENKINS JOHNSON GALLERY

You may have forgotten it's the United States 250th anniversary, but Jenkins Johnson Gallery hasn’t. Themed around the nation’s birthday, the New York and San Francisco-based gallery’s Frieze offerings bring together the works of people across the African diaspora. From Lola Flash’s 2023 “Your Silence Will Not Protect You” sign to Gordon Parks 1963 portrait of Malcom X at a Chicago rally, the works tell the story of America through the Black artists who have captured it across generations.

MITRE GALERIA

From Brazilian gallery Mitre Galeria comes Bodies-Territory: Essays of Tomorrow, an assortment of works exploring how bodies can hold memory and mould identity. Encompassing a range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, video and performance, the collection features work from artists Aline Motta, davi de jesus do nascimento, Gê Viana, Luana Vitra, Manauara Clandestina, Marcel Diogo, Marcos Siqueira, Pedro Neves, Rafael RG and Wallace Pato. Whether through an intimate Polaroid portrait or a larger-than-life flag, the works in the collection examine the relationship between bodies and their territories.

MOR CHARPENTIER

A dual presentation by Paris-based gallery mor charpentier brings together the works of Anas Albraehe, a multidisciplinary Syrian artist focused on painting and theatre, and Nohemí Pérez, a Colombian artist whose practice includes drawing, embroidery and painting. Albraehe’s contribution, an oil painting titled Dreamers, gives rest to an exhausted human figure, placing them atop a bed of clouds, while Perez’s work shows the journey of young families along Texas and Colombia borderlands.