American icon art critic, Jerry Salt, just wrote an article “A Modest Proposal: Break the Art Fair” for Vulture website few days ago, pointing out the challenges and corruptions that art fairs are now faced with.
According to Jerry Saltz, the more the costs of art fairs increase, the more medium and small galleries are vulnerable to losing money. In order to reduce the risks of it, the galleries tend to bring more valuable works to the art fairs.
Many will be against the opinion, because they thought galleries would always make a fortune at art fairs. Indeed, large galleries always make money at art fairs, but for medium/small galleries, if they wanted to make money, the costs of art fair shouldn't be too expensive, or they are lucky enough to sell a lots of works. People always judge the book by its cover. However, they didn't realize that when a gallery sells a work, and the gallery have to split half or more the actual sale amount with the artist. By this point, the galleries using the large booths at Frieze could make ends meet from $350,000 of sale amount. Vice versa, if a gallery sells works from less unknown or lower-priced artists, they might risk the major financial losses.
Saltz also suggested that art fairs lower 40% of the fees might ease the tension of galleries. Even, if the systems of art fairs take tax structure as model, like large galleries pay more money, will improve the financial situation of the smaller galleries. After all, large galleries are the one who benefit from art fairs, charging them higher prices are more reasonable.
The responsibility of profits shouldn't be on galleries’ shoulders, and it should be on art fair’s. For example, Carnegie Hall doesn’t charge Yo-Yo Ma exorbitant prices to perform there but Carnegie Hall pays him. In addition, the procedure of judging should be changed. Now galleries fill out costly applications describing what they’re bringing to the fairs, but, the proposals will be judged by a jury of their peers. Some medium/small gallerists have told Saltz that their proposals were rejected for being “too boring.”
According to New York Times, Elizabeth Dee accepted the proposal that large galleries should pay more. She said, if 10% of large galleries at art fairs are willing to pay extra $10,000 for booth, the money will be subsidized to medium/small galleries. Approximately lower 12.5% to 14% of the costs. Art Basel director Marc Spiegler thought that was a good idea, but still we don't know how many top galleries are willing to do it.
Team Gallery’s director, Jose Freire who just experienced 78 art fairs, thought the system of the art fairs are just like those of galleries, having serious problems. In the initial stages, art fairs were regarded as the way to promote galleries, when galleries didn't have their own brand, art fairs are crucial. However, the overwhelmed costs make galleries cannot afford it, and the crew always stay the same. Jose Freire felt so frustrated and will not participate in any art fairs after Art Basel 2018.
Since art fairs have been defined as success, galleries who didn't participate in will be regarded as weaker. Therefore, small galleries try hard to join in art fairs no matter they didn't make any money. The fact is, if they team up, giving pressure to art fairs. Smaller galleries actually are more capable than they thought. Such as NADA and independent fairs are good examples, providing alternatives to galleries.
Another New York Times article reported that, there are several emerging artist exhibitions in Brooklyn. The Other Art Fair, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Moniker International Art Fair and the Fridge Art Fair are running through the weekend. These fairs can be seen as Anti-Frieze fairs, leading visitors into an ignorant art market. These fairs focused on young and talented artists, and they can show their own works on a limited budget.
Jerry Saltz (born in 1951) is an American art critic. He has been senior art critic and columnist for New York magazine since 2006. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2018 and was nominated for the award in 2001 and 2006. Saltz served as a visiting critic at Columbia University, Yale University, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and was the sole advisor for the 1995 Whitney Biennial.
Resources:
A Modest Proposal: Break the Art Fair by Jerry Saltz
Link: https://goo.gl/xS9cEL
David Zwirner Proposes ‘Tax’ on Large Galleries at Art Fairs by Farah Nayeri
Link: https://goo.gl/FVYU4T
Anti-Frieze Art Fairs Abound in Brooklyn by Brook S. Mason
Link: https://goo.gl/rq2rLL
Figure 1: Photo courtesy of Jerry Saltz Facebook
Figure 2 top left: Photo Courtesy of The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair Facebook
Figure 2 top right: The other Art Fair Brooklyn. Photo courtesy of The Other Art Fair Facebook
Figure 2 bottom left: Photo courtesy of The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair Facebook
Figure 2 bottom right: Ralph Ziman, The Casspir Project, progress photo courtesy of the artist. The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair.
