Entrance at Untitled Art, Houston, 2025. Photo Francesca Aton/ARTnews
As the old saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas. It was ironic, then, that the inaugural edition of Untitled Art, Houston was small—at least in comparison to the fair’s Miami Beach counterpart, which is roughly two times the size. Still, the 88 galleries who showed at the Houston fair made this event feel mighty, despite its size.
The space held memorable installations by artists such as Mel Chin and Isabelle Brourman, and there were also noteworthy works dealing head-on with pressing political issues at a time when addressing topics like the health care crisis vis-à-vis the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and immigration between the United States and Mexico can be risky for both artists and dealers.
Houston newcomers and locals alike from near and far thronged the event, and there was an excitement among attendees that has been rare since the start of the Covid pandemic. Talk of a market downturn seemed not to deter visitors from drinking in the Southern hospitality and the daring selection of works in multiple mediums.
Despite the event’s extravagance, I was drawn to some of the fair’s quietest works. Here are a few that stood out.
Gillian Brett at Don’t Look Projects
Gillian Brett at Don’t Look Projects, Untitled Art, Houston, 2025.
Photo : Photo Francesca Aton, ARTnews
At first glance, plants appear to grow out of the wall of this booth. Closer inspection, however, reveals that these plants are actually computer circuitry and wire cables. The work cleverly intertwines concerns about modern agriculture practices and climate change, showing how human reliance on technology has reshaped the natural world for the worse. Images of the night sky captured by the Hubble telescope also appear here on fractured LCD screens that disturb their beauty.
