Food for thoughts: A BRIDGE TO NORMALITY

SFMOMA. 2020. FOG Design+Art Fair.

The art world is a very distinguished and peculiar place. It is a world of unwritten rules and agreements, often strict, but at the same time extremely flexible. It is my opinion that we are living in a moment of time where most individuals would welcome, rather than rigorously deny, a slight alternation of such rules and patterns within the art world. Isn’t it then the right moment to start thinking and create new operating models?

We have been seeing and talking a lot about new digital ways to interact with and experience art. However, despite the help that such tools are giving us to connect and relate to art, sometimes it is still not enough. We are art lovers. We are moved and thrilled by attending exhibitions and events where we feel surrounded by art and other art enthusiasts.

We need a bridge. A bridge to normality. A model that will help us experience art and what art itself makes us feel, despite the restrictions of mass gatherings and travel. We need a more sustainable model; not to replace the big, fun and exciting art fairs, such as Art Basel, FIAC and Frieze, but rather to keep breathing art during this time and eventually co-exist with traditional fairs as a different and additional model.

Many galleries have, in the past years, relied on art fairs for almost 50% of their total revenue; unfortunately, this percentage dropped to 16% during the first half of 2020.[1] Furthermore, according to Art Basel and UBS’s mid-year report, average gallery sales fell by 36%, with a median decline of 43%.[2] Thus, the circumstances imply that finding a new sustainable model of fairs might actually be an attractive middle ground solution. 

Laster, P., 2020. 10 Buzzworthy Art Cities To Visit In 2020 - Galerie.

Leading art gallery Maruani Mercier recently launched the local art fair Warehouse, which will take place from the 12th to the 15th of November this year in Brussels. The fair will host 11 Belgian galleries in a converted industrial space. Laurent Mercier, managing partner at the gallery, stated in an interview with Artnet that with international fairs cancelled world-wide and art travellers staying local, small local fairs are the best answer to the art problems related to the COVID-19 crisis.[3]

Similarly, Stephanie Manasseh, co-founder of the Accessible Art Fair, expressed her opinion on the topic by agreeing that organising local events could be the right solution.[4] ACAF launched a different model of art fair in 2006, hosting artists themselves rather than galleries. Manasseh affirmed how this model enabled ACAF to be sustainable also during difficult times as they could easily work only with Belgian artists for the time being. 

What is the benefit of creating a small scale local event? We all thrive to go see some fresh art. The latest reports and auction results show how people have not stopped searching for and buying art, both online and offline.[5]According to the mid-year survey report by UBS and Art Basel, 82% of HNW collectors are actively planning to go to exhibitions, art fairs and events in the next 12 months.[6] We simply need a safe and feasible way to keep living the art. Juliette Levy, an art professional currently working for Gladstone Gallery, confirmed the recent success of the Brussels Gallery Weekend event.[7] It was easy and safe; galleries were showing fresh, new exhibitions and were open for the public allowing for anyone to simply wonder in. She shared how enthusiastic people were to finally go explore and enjoy some art.

So why not make it local! The idea to create small scale local art fairs won’t do any harm to any business. A medium sized location is enough to host 12-15 galleries while also keeping COVID-19 distance requirements. The location does not need to necessarily be a large space, and could thus easily be found in most city-centres. More importantly, a local event would make long distance travelling unnecessary, thus reducing the high costs of international fairs, which often amount to the largest component of total costs for galleries.[8]

Smaller space, fewer personnel, same excitement! 

A small local art fair does not necessarily have to take place once a year, but rather could take place once every few months, adding a variety to the galleries which it hosts. It could be a theme-based, location-based or emerging/established artists-based fair. There are a thousand different shades that can be explored and experimented with and this is the right moment to take advantage of the great potential of a diverse model of art fairs. 

Local fairs can also be a way to feel more connected with the art and culture of the location itself; to explore and support the emerging trends and to reinforce the roots with one’s culture and heritage. This does not mean preferring national over international fairs, as we all love the internationality and global reach of the art world. It simply means creating a new model while awaiting a return to normality; a model that in the future could easily co-exist with traditional fairs, offering a different kind of experience.

Data shows that currently art fairs are not one of the top priorities for art galleries. While in 2019 79% of respondents placed art fairs as of their top priorities, this statistic dropped to 20% in 2020. On the other hand, reducing costs and boosting profit replaced art fairs as the most common priority.[9] Nonetheless, a new art fair model, one that is more sustainable and approachable, might still be a good way to boost profit and sales, as well as cultivating one’s clientele, reaching new segments and keeping art alive.  

Experimenting with new models might also be a way to keep attracting the new generation of collectors. It has indeed emerged from a collector sample that millennials now represent the most active collecting segment in the market, accounting for 48%.[10] Younger people are often more willing and enthusiastic to experiment and we should take advantage and feed them with opportunities to keep indulging in the world of art. 

Artnet News, 2020. A New Brussels Art Fair For Nearly A Dozen Belgian Galleries Is The Latest Signal That The Industry Is Going Local.

What I propose is a middle ground solution, a art fair model that could coexist and could bring benefits to gallerists, collectors and artists in a time of crisis. A sustainable model of fair that could give art enthusiasts the opportunity to keep enjoying art throughout the year, to continue to be amused and to discover the art world in times where it is not always as accessible as before. It would be an alternative to the so missed art events and gatherings, to the thrill of interacting with fellow enthusiasts, and to keep promoting art as a healing and bonding experience.

[1] Art Basel and UBS, 2020. The Art Market Mid-Year Survey

[2]Ibid 

[3] Artnet News, 2020. A New Brussels Art Fair For Nearly A Dozen Belgian Galleries Is The Latest Signal That The Industry Is Going Local. 

[4] Phone interview with Stephanie Manasseh

[5] Ibid. nr. 1 & Auction reports from Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips, Il Ponte, Wannenes

[6] Ibid. nr. 1

[7] Phone Interview with Juliette Levy 

[8] Ibid. nr. 1

[9] Ibid. nr. 1

[10] Ibid. nr. 1

Arianna Perini,

Contributor, MADE IN BED