If you are interested in buying artwork, where could you find your potential piece of art?
You might visit galleries, artists` studios, auction houses, festivals, the Internet or art fairs. Finally, you might come to the conclusion the latter would be the best option.
Art fairs do have many advantages over the other choices. On the one hand they give you the chance to visit a large amount of art galleries, dealers and artists at one single place. The concentration of works of art is very high. The galleries, mostly only thinking about selling, will be exhibiting for that reason a certain type of art: only their “best” pieces. Consequently, the artworks are often hung on top of each other on partition walls in such a way that it is often difficult to distinguish where one exhibitor's booth ends and another begins. So, the fair is maybe not always a very good place to look at art, but on the other hand it is a good method in which to become acquainted with artworks that are on offer in the art world. Of course, there are other range of works of art on offer outside the fairs, too. However, the visitor will get an idea of the current market for art.
Galerie Bob van Orsouwch, Zürich, at the 37 Art Basel
There are numerous art fairs, specialising in different kind of art, held around the world. For instance, the web site artfairsinternational.com lists more than two hundred. One of the most popular and highly esteemed art fairs for modern and contemporary art is the Art Basel. Entitled “the Olympics of the Art World” by the New York Times, in its 37th show in 2006 the fair represented three hundred international galleries, displaying their finest works of art.
This research project will focus on the Art Basel and study how an art fair, in particular the Art Basel, is conceived. Moreover, the case study will analyse the art fair exhibitors, visitors and sponsors as well as additional features that the art fair provides to their exhibitors and visitors. Finally, the study will also attempt to discover the latest trends in the modern and contemporary art world according to the last Art Basel in 2006.
URLography
Art fairs in general
Artfairsinternational.com
The website artfairsinternational.com lists art fairs, biennals and events around the whole world, and news and articles concerning these topics are available.
Guardian article
The Guardian article “Where to look” provides its readers with tips about where to buy art. Art fairs, like Frieze Art Fair and the Zoo Art Fair are described, as well as going directly to the artists through open studio events or buying art online are mentioned in this newspaper article.
Art Basel
Art Basel
The official website of Art Basel contains useful information for general visitors, exhibitors and the press, as well as information to the last Art Basel in June 2006, and to the next upcoming 38th fair next year.
New York Times article
This New York Times article "At Basel Fair, High Rollers and Blue-Chip Artists" by Carol Vogel, published on June 15, 2006, depicts the art collectors and the art buyers at the last Art Basel, their preferences in artworks, as well as about the sponsors of Art Basel, whose target groups are the art buying clients of Art Basel.
Interview with Samuel Keller
At the kopenhagen.dk homepage is an interview with the director of Art Basel, Sam Keller, who speaks about the last Art Basel in June 2006.
Article at artfairsinternational.com
“Clocks, Chocolate... Basel” is an article about the last Art Basel, written by Ian Green and James Westcott, that considers “another Swiss speciality: the big daddy of art fairs.” The authors briefly present the city Basel and the Art Basel for dummies and further on the article includes information including the prices for the exhibiting booths, and the artworks that were shown at the 36th fair.
Article at artfacts.net
Raúl Martínez expresses his impression of Art Basel 2006 in “Art Basel - a short report from the fairs” at the homepage of artfacts.net. He points out in particular “the current buying fever” that exists in the art market at the moment.
Sunday Telegraph article
Andrew Graham-Dixon talks in his Sunday Telegraph article “Follow the smart money - Art Basel 37” from the 25 June 2006 about the Art Basel and the new key trends in the art world observed here. For instance, he mentions that “the gap between prices paid for classic modern art - the likes of Léger - and prices paid for those contemporary artists perceived to be 'hot' has shrunk to an extraordinary degree.”
Art Basel Miami Beach
Official website of Art Basel Miami Beach, the sister show of Art Basel in Miami. Florida will be home for the 5th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2006.