Both art fairs and biennials have thrived during the five-year-long art boom, which has seen the art world become more global and watched contemporary art grow more popular than ever before. Despite worries about an impending recession in the U.S. in 2008, the art business is going strong, with more fairs than ever. Herewith, a selective list of the main events of the first three months of 2008.
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JANUARY
Palmbeach3
Jan. 11-13, 2008
In its 11th edition, the orthographically complicated palmbeach3 brings more than 95 international dealers to the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
Photo L.A.
Jan. 11-13, 2008
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium hosts the latest incarnation of ArtFairs Inc.’s photo fair, presenting about 80 galleries plus an artist conversation series organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
London Art Fair
Jan. 16-20, 2008
London’s own art fair returns to the Business Design Center with over 100 galleries, plus "Photo50," a new special section launched in 2007 and featuring works by 50 photographers selected from show participants.
New York Ceramics Fair
Jan. 16-20, 2008
Decorative ceramic, glass and enamels dating from the earliest Classical periods to contemporary studio pottery and more, in a show featuring more than 40 international dealers at the National Academy Museum in New York.
American Antiques Show
Jan. 17-20, 2008
A production of the American Folk Art Museum, this fair kicks off Americana Week in New York when it opens at the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th Street in Manhattan, featuring 45 dealers in 19th-century portraits, furniture, needlework, American-Indian art, tramp art and other idiosyncratic styles.
Winter Antiques Show
Jan. 18-27, 2008
The venerable fair, a benefit for the East Side House Settlement in the South Bronx, presents more than 75 top dealers in antiquities, fine art, books, antiques, the decorative arts and jewelry at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan.
San Francisco Fine Print Fair
Jan. 19-20, 2008
Five centuries of prints, from Old Masters to contemporary, presented by 18 print dealers at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.
Los Angeles Art Show
Jan. 23-27, 2008
The 13th annual exhibition features more than 125 galleries from around the world at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica -- incorporating as well, for the first time, the IFPDA’s 23rd annual Los Angeles Fine Print Fair. Exhibitors range from Charles Cowles Galelry, Charlotte Jackson Fine Art and Forum Gallery to Spanierman Modern, Tasende Gallery and Winston Wachter Fine Art.
Arte Fiera
Jan. 24-28, 2007
The Italian fair returns to the exhibition center in Bologna, this year offering a special itinerary of tours focusing on area cultural institutions and off-site programs and performances, along with more than 200 galleries.
Art L.A.
Jan. 25-27, 2008
The four-year-old fair presents 60 galleries, evenly split between established blue chip and emerging, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Among the exhibitors are Ace Gallery, Bortolami, Canada, China Art Objects, Haunch of Venison, Daniel Hug, Michael Jansse, Tomio Koyama and Emmanuel Perrotin.
Outsider Art Fair
Jan. 25-27, 2008
At Soho’s Puck Building, this fair offers up 34 specialists in self-taught and outsider art. The gala preview on Jan. 24 benefits the American Folk Art Museum.
Miami Beach Antique Show
Jan 31-Feb. 4, 2008
An incredible 1,000 exhibitors at the Miami Beach Convention Center, in a show operated by the UK-based DMG World Media.
FEBRUARY
Palm Beach
Feb. 1-10, 2008
The Palm Beach Fair, directed by Michael P. Mezzatesta, brings 100 dealers in art, antiques, rare books and jewelry the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
Art Rotterdam
Feb. 7-10, 2008
Located at Rotterdam’s central Cruise Terminal, this Dutch fair presents about 75 galleries from Europe (and three from New York -- Florence Lynch, Frederieke Taylor and Virgil de Voldere). The show boasts a €10,000 Illy Prize for the most innovate artist at the fair.
ARCO
Feb. 13-18, 2008
The 27th installment Madrid’s big art fair features 257 galleries, 70 from Spain and the rest from an impressive 33 other countries, including Brazil, the special guest country, which sends about 30 dealers. One new section, "ARCO 40," is devoted to "galleries that give a new vision of contemporary practice"; other special sections feature "Solo Projects" and "Performing ARCO."
Art Madrid
Feb. 13-17, 2008
A total of 80 galleries -- 59 from Spain -- come to the Crystal Pavilion in Madrid’s Casa de Campo park to share the weekend with ARCO.
Black Fine Art Show
Feb. 14-17, 2008
The 12th annual Black Fine Art Show presents 38 galleries from the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean at the Puck Building in New York, with a special Feb. 13 preview benefiting the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Art and Antiques Dubai
Feb. 21-24, 2008
Brian and Anna Haughton bring their newest art and antiques fair to the Madinat Arena in the Middle Eastern boom town of Dubai. Among the 44 galleries on the list of participants are Art Gallery Atelier 17 (Russia), Ayyam Gallery (Syria), Berry Hill Galleries (USA), Mita Arts Gallery (Japan) and Whitford Fine Art (UK).
The Art Show
Feb. 21-25, 2008
The 20th annual installment of the Art Dealers Association of America’s Art Show brings 70 galleries to New York’s increasingly tony Park Avenue Armory. The show this year features special projects by Spencer Finch, Lisi Raskin and Pietro Roccosalva, organized by Tom Eccles and Trevor Smith.
Artexpo New York
Feb. 28-Mar. 3, 2008
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Artexpo brings dealers and independent artists to the Javits Center.
Roma -- The Contemporary Art Fair
Feb. 28-Mar. 2, 2008
This new "nonconventional art fair" promises to present special exhibitions by 60 contemporary art galleries at historical sites such as the Palazzo Venezia, the Hospital of Santo Spirito and the Palazzo Rospigliosi, including a "Cose" mai viste" (Things never seen), a special show at the Terme di Diocleziano, the "greatest bathing site of the ancient world."
Works on Paper
Feb. 29-Mar. 3, 2008
Sanford L. Smith & Associates present 77 specialists in works on paper at the Park Avenue Armory.
MARCH
Whitney Biennial
Mar. 6-June 1, 2008
Curated by Henriette Huldisch and Shamim M. Momin and overseen by Donna De Salvo, the big affair this year includes 81 artists as well as performances at the Park Avenue Armory.
ev+a
Mar. 7-May 25, 2008
Ireland’s preeminent contemporary art festival takes place in Limerick, with Chinese curator Hou Hanrou offering artists at city-wide locations under the title "Open/Invited."
Fotofest 2008
Mar. 7-Apr. 20, 2008
Houston’s six-week-long celebration of photography and photo-based art concentrates this year on China, 1934-2008, at venues that include the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Menil Collection, the Houston Center for Photography, the Holocaust Museum Houston and 100 other sites.
TEFAF Maastricht
Mar. 7-16, 2008
Europe’s most high-key and encyclopedic art fair, with over 200 dealers in fine art, decorative arts, Old Masters and contemporary art at the Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Centre in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Joburg Art Fair
Mar. 13-16, 2008
The first contemporary art fair in Johannesburg, South Africa, has so far signed up 24 galleries, largely specializing in African and South African contemporary art, in a show at the Sandton Convention Centre.
International Asian Art Fair
Mar. 15-19, 2008
Celebrating Asia Week in New York, this fair features a total of 28 dealers -- 17 from the U.S., three from the UK, three from Japan, and one each from France, Australia, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Fair organizers Brian & Anna Haughton have moved their event from its former site at the Park Avenue Armory to 583 Park Avenue at 63rd Street, the columned, red brick Georgian-style Third Church of Christ, Scientist, which was built in 1924 and which has hosted gala events since 2006.
Art Dubai
Mar. 19-22, 2008
Returning this year after launching as the "Gulf Art Fair" in 2007, Art Dubai promises close to 70 galleries at the Madinat Arena, with a special collaboration with France’s FIAC art fair called "Global Art Forum, Paris-Dabai," bringing together Middle Eastern intellectuals with long-time Gaulic ties.
New York Arts of Pacific Asia Show
Mar. 21-24, 2008
The Gramercy Park Armory in New York plays host to more than 77 specialists in Asian art and antiques.
DiVA New York
Mar. 22-30, 2008
Opening in advance of New York’s Armory Show (see below), the 2008 New York incarnation of the digital art and video fair has the title "The Streets" and promises a location in a "shipping container community in West Chelsea."
Fountain New York
Mar. 26-31, 2008
Sponsored by Williamsburg dealer Leo Kesting, Fountain promises a show of cutting-edge Brooklyn galleries at a venue to be announced, presumably near the Hudson River piers, site of the Armory show.
Scope New York
Mar. 26-30, 2008
After housing some 98 galleries in its Miami incarnation in late 2007, Scope presents 47 dealers in an invitation-only fair in a custom-designed pavilion in Lincoln Center at the corner of 62nd and Amsterdam.
Art Now Fair
Mar. 27-30, 2008
This fair, which debuted in Miami last December, promises 40 young galleries at Hotel 30/30, which is located at 30 East 30th Street in Manhattan.
Bridge Art Fair
Mar. 27-30, 2008
Promising some 70 international exhibitors, this Chicago-based fair arrives in New York at the Waterfront building in West Chelsea, formerly home of "The Tunnel" nightclub.
The Armory Show
Mar. 27-30, 2008
New York City’s pace-setting contemporary art fair offers up 160 galleries focusing on contemporary art at Pier 94.
Pulse New York
Mar. 27-30, 2008
This year, Pulse New York has a new site -- Pier 40 on the Hudson River at Houston Street, a site long used as a parking garage and now being rehabbed as a park. Some 70 galleries are expected to participate.
Red Dot Fair
Mar. 27-30, 2008
This hotel fair brings a scrappy roster of younger galleries to the Park South Hotel at 122 E. 28th Street in Manhattan.
Volta NY
Mar. 27-30, 2008
This new New York edition of the Swiss-based fair (now owned by Merchandise Mart in Chicago) is located at Fifth Avenue West 34th Street, directly opposite the Empire State Building.
Artéamericas
Mar. 28-31, 2008
Now in its fifth year, Merrill Lynch artéamericas presents 70 galleries from 16 countries at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Exhibitors include Animal (Chile), Thomas Cohn (Brazil), Karpio + Facchini (USA), Diana Lowenstein (USA), Jacques Martinez (Argentina), Nina Menocal (Mexico), Fernando Pradilla (Spain) and Restrepo-Jimenez (Colombia).
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