A trove of 20th-century art from Lebanon to Santa Fe, Miami to Mumbai. Look for spiritualist painting and undersung artists from Hawaii and Mississippi.

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Can you shape the narrative of art history — which is what museums generally do — at an art fair? And do we need any more of these pop-up enterprises in our lives? Haven’t we had enough of art fairs?

The Independent 20th Century, held at Battery Maritime Building at South Ferry, with its hulking steel and iron Beaux-Arts facade, makes a pretty good case on both counts. In its fourth edition, and the New York fair that focuses on 20th-century art, the usual modern-art stars turn up here and there (hello, Picasso), but I made several thrilling discoveries among the 53 artists presented by 31 exhibitors. I’m inclined to think you’ll find some new favorites too.

Another New York School character is Dan Basen, who showed with the influential art dealer Betty Parsons (as Dusti Bongé did) and was on course to making a big contribution, with his Pop-like constructions (he was actually experimenting with film, Happenings, and other 1960s incursions) until he died at the age of 30 in 1970. At Galerie Gmurzynska, you can see his approach to collaging and crafting with found materials, but also a sly sense of humor as he observed advertisements, politics and the slowly-becoming-star-studded art world around him.

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