This was the third Esther fair, and it took place at the Estonian House (Eesti Maja) in Midtown Manhattan, which was filled with contemporary art.

"There's a common thread and a spirit throughout the fair which connects all these galleries, which is very collegial, collaborative and not competitive; they support each other. You can see it in the way that the works are sort of staggered between galleries," a visitor to the fair, Augusto Arbiz, told ERR.

Esther has quickly gained recognition in art circles and has also attracted attention from major publications including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The event is considered distinctive due to its intimate atmosphere.

"We are simply not trying to look like any other fair — we're doing things our own way. By now, many fairs all look the same, with this sort of white-box context that has never really interested us that much," said fair organizers Olga Temnikova and Margot Samel.

Esther also provides Estonian gallerists and artists with the opportunity to reach an international audience in New York City, in a way similar to how London's Galerina, co-founded by Estonian Niina Ulfsak, does.

Visitors and gallery owners alike say that the Estonian House itself gives Esther its unique atmosphere. "It's a smaller fair, so for that reason it's very intimate; you have an opportunity to really communicate and chat with the dealers, and talk about the artist that they're working with," Arbizo added.

Despite the fact that this year's Esther, the third since it launched, proved to be the most successful so far, organizers say this was its swansong, in its current guise at least.

"This year's lesson is that it's very hard to stop, because every year things have gone much better," the organizers said. Still, they remain mysterious and do not rule out the possibility that Esther could return next year in a new location or format.

The official Esther III page is here.

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