If you’re feeling like New York’s art fair landscape is crowded this season, you’re not wrong. Nearly a dozen of them will pop up across the city during Frieze New York (May 2–5), which returns to the Shed at Hudson Yards for its 12th edition. “The sheer number of possible experiences seems to grow exponentially,” Laura Raicovich, the former president and executive director of the Queens Museum, told the New York Times. “You can’t possibly do it all, so just pick a few things that pique your interest and go from there.” Those are wise words to avoid “fairtigue” ahead of the jam-packed NYCxDesign, which will bring hundreds of design events headlined by ICFF and WantedDesign to the city later in the month. We have the download on the events not to miss.

For a rare peek inside a historic Beaux-Arts interior not often glimpsed by New Yorkers, try Esther (May 1–4). Launched by dealers Margot Samel and Olga Temnikova, the fair’s inaugural edition invites 26 international galleries to eschew the white cube and present site-specific projects that respond to the New York Estonian House’s wooden meeting rooms and ornate grand halls. A maverick spirit also pervades the free Fridge Art Fair (May 2–5), which platforms obscure talents who may not be able to afford booths at more robust fairs. Fridge describes its atmosphere as “a party thrown by old friends rather than a high-priced corporate event”—and we’re certain its 10th-anniversary gala, which is being dubbed a “Big Birthday Party” at the 33 Seaport Hotel, will deliver.

While you’re downtown, drop by the Independent Art Fair (May 9–12), which returns to Spring Studios to celebrate its 15th anniversary. Besides hosting 77 exhibitors, the fair will celebrate its history with a special section organized by founder Elizabeth Dee and curator Matthew Higgs. After a successful showing at the newly opened Powerhouse Arts in the fall, The Other Art Fair (May 16–19) is returning to Gowanus, but this time at ZeroSpace. Along with a slew of affordable paintings, photographs, and sculptures from more than 120 artists, visitors can also opt to strip down and have their nude portraits drawn in a private pop-up studio. For a more buttoned-up affair, try TEFAF New York (May 10–14), which collapses 7,000 years of art, jewelry, antiquities, and design into a compelling outing at the Park Avenue Armory.

A few blocks south from Frieze will lead you to the Starrett-Lehigh building, where 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair (May 1–4) will present a star roster of creative talents from Africa and its diaspora across 30 galleries. We’re excited for Yancey Richardson’s presentation of silver prints by Zanele Muholi, who recently published the second volume of their celebrated self-portrait series Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness through Aperture. The South African artist-activist will also star in the gallery’s booth at AIPAD’s Photography Show (April 25–28) at the Park Avenue Armory. Keep scrolling for more highlights from that fair, which director Lydia Melamed Johnson shared with Surface exclusively.

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Just a few picturesque blocks away from Lisbon’s botanical gardens, the 24-room boutique hotel Pátio do Tijolo greets guests with an all-encompassing sense of peace. Local architecture practice Base Geométrica and landscape architect Elena Somalo teamed up to create a peacefully beachy escape with lush tropical vegetation indoors and out.

While Base Geométrica is based in Lisbon, its designer’s Spanish roots shine through in the décor, some of which was sourced from Barcelona-based brands like Santa & Cole and Marset. Though guests will enjoy the property’s private feel, with its lush inner gardens and courtyard, it’s hardly cloistered. Locals and fellow travelers are welcome to enjoy moments of peace in its coastal-inflected common areas, or spirited drinks over charcuterie care of the no-fuss kitchen.

Momina Watton was working as a beauty publicist until a friend noticed her obsession with curating vintage furniture and asked her to make a bespoke table. That simple request sparked a career-shifting revelation for the lifetime Londoner, who became enamored with the nuances of Italian travertine. She soon launched her own studio, Atelier278, which collaborates with British artisans to create clean-lined marble tables and onyx objets that both reflect nature’s unparalleled beauty and uplift the specialist craft of stone masonry.

Our weekly roundup of the internet’s most preposterous headlines, from the outrageous to the outright bizarre.

Inside the Kenyan Cult That Starved Itself to Death [1843]

Most People Are Disgusted By These Animals. These New Yorkers Are Filling Their Homes With Them. [Vox]

Why Are Celebrities Destroying Multimillion-Dollar Mansions? [The Guardian]

Bang & Olufsen Is Selling a $55,000 CD Player. You Read That Right. [Fast Company]

Horses Run Loose Through Central London in Surreal Spectacle [New York Times]

Cicadas Are Making So Much Noise That Residents Are Calling the Police in South Carolina [CBS]

There’s no shortage of drops, launches, and “collabs” amok in the fashion industry at any given time, so it takes a certain something to get these editors to give a double-take when those five letters crop up. Leave it to a trio of Germany-based designers to combine their considerable talents and wow us.

The creatives behind Tsatsas, a handcrafted leather handbag label helmed by Esther and Dimitrios Tsatsas, and cult-favorite indie designer Kostas Murkudis recently combined their talents to produce a 12-piece ready-to-wear collection of Scandinavian leather and French lace. The first release, Session 01, pairs sheer tunics and sheath dresses with plunging necklines, leather bralettes with contrasting, delicate lace ties. While some pieces come in fashion’s favorite hue—black—there are also pops of periwinkle blue, blood orange, and burgundy. The best part? Its title, Session 01, seems to invite the possibility of future editions.

As New York City’s dizzying calendar of fairs, exhibitions, and cultural events has returned to peak calendar craziness, AIPAD has led the pack with a comeback to its longtime home at the Park Avenue Armory. The venue of choice for creatives on the cutting edge of arts—Justin Peck, Robert Icke, and Rashaad Newsome among them—is welcoming the fair back to its Gothic Revival halls following a post-pandemic hiatus from the venue. Fair director Lydia Melamed Johnson shared the news in an exclusive interview with Surface last year, explaining that fellow organizers “knew the organization was ready to once again grow and inhabit such a distinct space” following two successful but scaled-down editions in 2022 and 2023.

Fast forward to today, and the fair is in full swing, showing the latest photographs and prints from 78 galleries and hundreds of exhibiting artists. It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin, so Surface tapped Johnson for her expert recommendations on the photographers she has her eye on as their star rises.

Carl Hansen & Søn believes that iconic design is a combination of simplicity, aesthetics, and functionality brought to life through skillful work with the highest-quality materials. For more than 100 years, the Danish brand has specialized in providing outstanding furniture craftsmanship that brings visionary design concepts to life.

Surface Says: A master of timeless design, Carl Hansen & Søn always knows how to balance homeyness and modernity.

This cellulose-based, sponge-like furniture grows when dunked in water.

A new statue of Queen Elizabeth II and her corgis is dividing public opinion.

The sci-fi video game Harold Halibut draws comparisons to Wes Anderson.

New York City’s official boat-breakers are busy crushing abandoned vessels.