For its 12th anniversary, the Armory Show will welcome 211 international exhibitors to the piers on the west side of Manhattan. In a pair of programming decisions that can be seen to reflect lingering ambivalence about the buying climate, fair organizers has devoted a special section to the galleries of Berlin — that fabled "poor but sexy" art capital — and named Susan Collis as the fair's feature artist, commissioning her to create special editions of her discreet yet materially luxurious work in the hope that they'll put collectors in the mood to buy.

Recent auctions of Impressionist, modern, and contemporary art in London went relatively well, suggesting that money is returning to the market. (The specter of Bernie Madoff, who haunted last year's fair in Yan Pei-Mings portrait at David Zwirners booth, is a distant memory now.) Art Basel Miami Beach last December likewise showed a resurgent sales, notably in the area of younger emerging artists. A strong showing in the booths along the Hudson could seal the emerging narrative of a robust art-market recovery, while lukewarm sales could suggest a return to "normalcy," the days of bubbles and fiercely competitive collectors outmoded for a time.

To preview the fair, ARTINFO asked participating galleries to send photographs of what they were planning to bring to the fair. Here are 56 of the editorial staff’s favorites. Tomorrow, ARTINFO will present another set of works to keep an eye out for among the booths.

Click the photo gallery at left to preview some of the works that will be at the fair.