For members of the trade with shops outside London, or the increasing number without retail premises at all, fairs remain a must. That’s why this year, with the addition of Fair For Saatchi to the established Olympia and Masterpiece fairs, there is more, not less fairs activity in London this summer. However, there’s no question that with so much art, all tightly displayed under one roof across a relatively short time slot, the experience can be quite intense.
While art fairs have the distinct advantage of attracting a diverse range of visitors, at a gallery exhibition works can be shown to their best advantage in a more user-friendly setting and enjoyed at a rather different pace. With less emphasis on pure commerce – the need to recoup stand costs running to the tens of thousands introduces an urgency and intensity at an art fair – in the gallery a dealer can devote much more time to interacting with visitors and are delighted to spend time in conversation, answering questions or putting works into context. It puts the focus back onto the objects themselves.
Season staple