There are many different art fairs all around the world, but some are more popular than others. In order to find which ones create the most buzz, and thus be more lucrative, we can take a look at an article on TheTopRankon.com called “The Top 10 Most Popular International Art Fairs”.
What is an Art Fair?
Art fairs are exhibitions of art in a publicly visible place. They first started in the early 1800s but have increased in popularity over time as different local cultures have created their own forms of artwork. The most popular art fairs in international and domestic cities also contribute to soaring values for paintings, photography, sculptures and more. Major art fairs often feature some famous artists like Picasso or Andy Warhol and are highly sought for cultural inspiration and economic aid.
How to Find the World’s Top Art Fairs
The most universally accepted art fairs in the world are the Art Basel located in Switzerland, FIAC in France, and the Frieze Art Fair which is located in London. These are the three most well-known art fairs in the world. However, there are many other international art fairs that do not get as much attention but have been continuously growing.
Art Basel in Basel
With the most international art fair locations, Art Basel in Basel is the top offender for the most number of locations. This international art fair (along with a few others) presumably has quite a lot to offer an art collector just from looking at this impressive list of locations.
The art fair Art Basel in Basel attracts around 500,000 people over the course of a week and generally sells over $2 billion worth of artwork. It often includes some of the world’s most valuable work, but it also has affordable paintings for percentage collectors. It is one of the top art fairs in the world because it showcases only contemporary art.
The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF; Maastricht)
The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) has been rapidly becoming the most popular international art fair in the world. This annual event is currently ranked as the #5 most visited fair in the world and it attracts visitors from around 75 countries across the planet. The owners of TEFAF manage 560 galleries throughout 78,000 square meters rented for many years and offer artworks for sale from 130 countries including France, Spain, Germany, China, and Russia up to both established artists and young members of society. The importance of this event revolves in its mission to create a place where both contemporary artists and collectors can come together to engage with each other.
TEFAF is one of the largest contemporary art events held each spring in Maastricht, Netherlands. With more than 1,000 exhibits and 8,000 visitors from more than 80 countries annually, this fair has something to offer everyone. Throughout the history of TEFAF, pieces continue to exceed expectations with visitors as well as artists’ reactions.
Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain (FIAC; Paris)
The Foire Internationale is one of the most recognized events in the world featuring a variety of artworks, performances, and installations. Since its inception in 1924, it has been held every three years on the streets of Paris and it’s been consistently blooming in attendance with 2017 as another outstanding year. This year’s event drew huge crowds who got to admire works from international contemporary artists like Annet Dekker, Martin Klimasik, and Marlene Dumas.
FIAC is the most prestigious art fair in the world. It takes place every three years and acts as a platform for contemporary art from around the globe. FIAC features more than 250 galleries, boosting knowledge about international markets for collectors interested in new works of art by emerging artists and firms.
Art Basel in Miami Beach (ABMB; Miami)
A major international art fair is Art BASEL in Miami Beach, and in 2018 it brought in over $2 billion in sales. That’s more than the GDP of Israel. The event goes on for several days and almost all the world’s top galleries show their work, which is “often extreme, challenging, and controversial.”
Art Basel in Miami Beach was founded in 1974. Since then, it has developed into the world’s premier art fair for established galleries. It currently claims to be the world’s largest art fair with 80 locations and 200,000 square feet of exhibition space.
The Armory Show (New York)
The Armory Show is the largest annual art event in the world. Held on the first weekend of February each year, it hosts a mixture of artists and collectors from over 100 different countries who pay very large sums to view new work by award-winning artists. The fair features about 700 new works of fine and decorative art, with an estimated total value of over 115 million dollars.
The Armory Show is an art fair that takes place once a year in New York City. It’s one of the world’s premier art fairs for those who are interested in artists. There are many other alternative events to enjoy during the rest of the year, too. Some people simply come from all over to go to this show because it is so well-known and renowned, but most people already know about it before even trying another event.
Paris Photo (Paris)
The Paris Photo art fair opened in 2011. The first year was a inaugural at Louvre in Paris France. The event has attracted over 400,000 attendees from 126 countries and 11,348 exhibitors. It’s one of the most popular international art exhibitions in the world.
There are many different types of art fairs in the world. Some concentrate a lot on new artists while others focus on established ones. Some only show photography, while others also showcase sculptures and more. That being said, not all art is created equal.
Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo (ARCOmadrid; Madrid)
The Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo is a contemporary art fair with 1,557 booths in Madrid, Spain. It has been held twice yearly since 1984 and there are 35,000 attendees each time. It aims to promote the Spanish market for international artists and present those that may eventually be important additions to the Spanish National Art Collection.
ARCOmadrid is the most popular art fair of Madrid and is quite well-known in the global art market. In recent years, it has become a platform for many emerging Spanish artists. Local and international buyers come to the show to buy pieces from recognized icons such as Andy Warhol, Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miro
Frieze (London)
Frieze, the Top 10 Most Popular International Art Fairs, features artists from 100 countries in its juried show. Print is still an important part of fairs and gallery sales, but it also shows pieces that have interactive qualities that allow visitors to interact with the work at their own pace. The fair includes performance installations, new and contemporary photography and video work along with a range of objects, sculpture and interactive works.
Frieze Art Fair is the most popular international art fair. The fair is held twice a year, during the last week of May and in October. It attracts over 200 new galleries each time that it holds the event. They even have a double event in Beijing each year that showcases both Shanghai and Beijing galleries.
Art Cologne (Cologne)
With 350,000 people attending in 2018, the most popular international art fair is Art Cologne. It also has a high budget with hosting great local collectors and art world professionals plus a tight race for the elite galleries to exhibit their work.
The next International Art Fair is the Art Cologne which will be held from November 25th through to December 1st 2015. The 2016 edition will take place from October 27th through to November 3rd.
Art Cologne (Cologne) was founded in 1868 and has been showcasing artists since its inception. As a result, this fair is primarily focused on fine arts like painting, sculpture, drawings, prints and more. The fair also hosts seminars with artists discussing their art and selling their work.
Artissima (Turin)
Artissima is the biggest art fair in the world, with ten years of historical data. It was founded in 2005 and has been held annually ever since. Artissima is part of the contemporary art movement due to its location in Italy. The top 10 most popular international art fairs are located around the world, spanning as far as Tokyo.
The annual, month-long Artissima art fair in Turin is the biggest of its kind and internationally renowned. The world-renowned main fair features over 3,000 established galleries and 250 emerging galleries that let visitors explore multiple periods of contemporary fine art alongside of historic works. The additional satellite fairs take place throughout the country to introduce new artists as well as visiting international artists.
Conclusion
This blog post compiled the Top 10 most popular international art fairs. These events have been on a yearly basis and they have received quite a bit of attention. The article mentions the most recent year’s firsthand reports by the editor. There are many international art fairs around the world. Some are well-known and some are mainly unknown. However, these successful brands get a lot of recognition on social media, which is why they have risen to prominence in other business sectors as well.
The most important thing to remember when bidding on an art work is that the price doesn’t always reflect whether you’ll be buying a good or a bad piece. A painting could sell for less in competition because of its style not being popular now, but if it’s rare, it could be worth more later on. The auction houses are experienced with how to balance these different factors and will let you know accordingly.
