Niru Ratnam

The rise of the art fair – and the death of the small gallery

In the age of the ubiquitous art fair, traditional private galleries are becoming an expensive loss-leader

The sharp end of the art market: an Aleksandar Duravcevic sculpture at the Cologne Art Fair [Getty Images/Shutterstock/iStock/Alamy]

In 1967, two Cologne-based gallerists came up with the Cologne Art Market — a trade fair where German galleries could set up temporary gallery-style spaces for a few days to showcase their stock. The following year, three dealers in Basel copied the idea but opened up their event to international galleries.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in