Art Fairs Demystified: Tips and Advice for Collectors and Artists

Artailer
Artailer
Jul 21, 2017 · 7 min read

Art fairs are not that different from your “standard” industry conferences or trade shows.

The image of conventions centres, hotel lobbies, trade booths!

I mean rows and rows of trade booths set up with demos, products, areas for media outlets and educational panels;

parties, lots and lots of people of like-mind, bars, food and did I already mention parties?
Oh, and tote bags!

The art world is no exception to the jam-packed weekend settings full of people, events, and panel discussions, and of course:

lots of art . . . lots and lots of art.

Lwin design, Colorfuse Sensory Immersion Tunnel, Pulse Contemporary Art Fair, 2010. image courtesy lwindesign and Julian Lwin.

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Art Fairs Run the Gamut

Just like conferences for different businesses, there are several different kinds of art fairs:

  • Antiquities, focusing on rare and vintage art and objects.
  • Outdoor art festivals, featuring artists selling their own work and a variety of other crafts events taking place.
  • Art in the park-style fairs, with artists and educators selling work and performing live art demonstrations.
  • Craft Fairs, showcasing the latest in functional hand-made works ranging from textiles to furniture, jewellery and home accessories.
  • Fine Art Print Fairs, emphasising two dimensional contemporary and antique works in fine printing-making techniques.
  • Modern Art Fairs, works by masters of early contemporary art, usually estates or secondary market.
  • Contemporary Art Fairs, featuring current galleries and the artists that they represent.

For this article, we’ll be sharing a bit of background on Contemporary Art Fairs and share some helpful tips for navigating art fairs, whether you are a collector, an artist or those who are curious.

More Contemporary Art Fairs than Ever Before

Art fairs are so common now that we take them for granted. Today sites such as Artsy and Artforum list over 60 contemporary art fairs happening all year long, all over the globe. What started as a way to help galleries in a time of financial crisis is now the norm for doing business and for experiencing art.

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Art |Basel 2015, image Courtesy Art Basel.

Established in 1967, Art Cologne was the first contemporary art fair of its kind and is still held today. Attracting over 50,000 visitors per year. Originally known as Kölner Kunstmarkt or Kunstmarkt 67, it was the first contemporary art fair where the public could view hundreds of artworks from the best galleries around the world in one place.

Established in 1967, Art Cologne was the first contemporary art fair of its kind and is still held… Click To Tweet

The fair focuses on Contemporary and Modern art, and was the first to distinguish itself from earlier American fair models that featured artists promoting themselves, and instead offers galleries a place to showcase artists that they represent.

Art Cologne, 1967, photo: Peter Fischer. image courtesy of Deutsche Welle, dw.com

Founded by Heine Stünke and Rudolph Zwirner, the fair was intended to reinvigorate the then weak art market, which was still suffering from a long-lasting post-war recession. In an article on Deutsche Welle, Zwirner remembers how revolutionary the idea to start the fair was at the time: “As the prices were publically displayed, everyone could see the price of a Picasso. That was previously unthinkable.” Now almost every major city in the world has an art fair, and they are happening all year long.

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Art Fairs: One-Stop Viewing Experiences

Art fairs definitely come with pros and cons. For example, the setting has been called “shopping mall” of art, and the atmosphere is always very busy, particularly at the many parties or at one of the many art talks that take place. Because they are temporary, the fairs are set up similar to other trade shows with rows and rows of booths, and the sheer volume can be overwhelming for some.

Art Miami 2014. Photo: Ken Hayden, courtesy Art Miami and Artnet.

So, anyone looking for a quiet and contemplative experience; art fairs may not be the place to for those. On the other hand, the pros of art fairs outweigh the downside:

  • The more relaxed atmosphere than in the gallery helps keep an open mind when viewing art.
  • Take your time and return to view art again; because it is such a busy place it is not as awkward to linger as it is in a quiet gallery during business hours.
  • A great place to see a lot of art all at one time, particularly if your city does not have a lot of contemporary art galleries.

The Amory Show, NY. Image Courtesy The Armory.

  • Galleries from other cities will be showcasing their local artists, a chance to see what is happening in contemporary art in other parts of the world.
  • Gather with friends to discuss art and listen to art panels, have drinks or lunch.
  • Gather information, business cards and take lots of Instagram shots for future reference.
  • The thrill of buying art and being able to take it with you or have it shipped right away is sometimes a benefit over waiting for an exhibition to end before you can have the work.
  • Making new relationships with artists and gallerists out of town; it’s always fun to know people that can broaden our world.

Minding Your P’s and Q’s at an Art Fair

Even though the fairs are really busy and seem casual, just like any social event there are some things to keep in mind when engaging with galleries at art fairs.

Obviously, it is a good idea to not touch the art which is standard at any museum or gallery, we discussed this at length in our earlier article on how to care for your artwork, but the relaxed and exciting atmosphere might give the wrong impression on other accounts.

Dallas Art Fair on Friday, April 11, 2014. Photography by Mei-Chun Jau.

  • If you are an artist, do not bring your portfolio. I am not sure why, but people still do this so be advised that the art fair is not the place!
  • Say hello and be courteous to the gallerists — they are there for a long time and interacting with a lot of people, so help them have a nice time, too.
  • Do not solicit your business to the gallerists, make conversation and follow up at a later time.
  • If you are a collector, be serious about what you want to buy. It’s bad form to ask the gallery to hold something for you and then not follow through.
  • Don’t carry on conversations in the booth that have nothing to do with the art; that goes for cell phone conversations, too.

Art Fair Tip #: Don’t make reservation you won’t follow through Click To Tweet

Artspace published a humorous article that has several tips for art fair etiquette given by industry experts, including artists, art advisors and museum directors. Frederick Janka, associate director of the Sculpture Center makes a lot of points that seem laughable, but they happen otherwise he would not have advised: “Don’t ask me if I’m the artist, and don’t ask me to put a hold on the work unless you really are interested. Also, why should I give you a dealer discount unless I know you?”

Navigating Art Fairs

Going to art fairs can be rewarding if you take a few easy steps to make it manageable. It can be particularly exhausting if you live or are visiting a city with multiple fairs. In fact, it is very common for several art fairs to descend on a city for maximum exposure opportunities. So get ready with a few tricks that will make the whole weekend super engaging:

  • There is a real mix of art even at the best contemporary art fairs: walk quickly by the art you do not like, and linger with the art you do.
  • Sign the gallery guest books to learn about future shows and trace a gallery’s progress or an artist’s shows over time.
  • Don’t get fixated on what is selling and what isn’t; although fairs are set up as a market place they are not guarantees of what is popular or should be a gauge of what you find valuable and interesting.
  • Research a little bit first so that you know what galleries to focus on and to have a more rewarding and informed experience.
  • Eat! Do not look at hundreds of artwork on an empty stomach so you can experience art without being cranky.
  • Don’t drink too many cocktails! There is a common misperception that getting collectors tipsy will make them buy more art, but you don’t want to be persuaded into buying something you were not clear-headed about.

Art Fair tip#: Sign the gallery guest books at to learn about future shows Click To Tweet

Art Fairs Broaden Your Horizons

Although fairs are busy and packed with people and art, they are part of the art world social fabric, the art market and a great tool for staying current with contemporary art trends.

They are a great way to meet new people and to gain exposure to art and galleries that are not in your immediate circle of friends and colleagues.

For collectors, it helps you build your collections, and if you are an artist, they can broaden your horizons. If you are experienced with attending art fairs, it can be fun to be a part of the seasonal buzz. Writer Walter Robinson put it nicely when he said: “[. . . ] an art fair provides a look behind the curtain, giving a glimpse of the art-world Oz playing at his levers.”

Stay tuned for future Artailer articles about art fairs, where we tackle issues for artists who wish to set up outdoor art fairs or more tips for collectors and how to engage with artists.

Now it’s your turn:

What art fairs have you attended recently and what did you like about them?

Share your experience purchasing art from a fair.

In what ways have art fairs introduced you to art you were not aware of, and what was it?


Originally published at www.artailer.ca on July 21, 2017.

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