Scott Reyburn raises an interesting scenario. In his International New York Times column on the tyranny of taste for 20th century art and design, Reyburn raises the possibility that TEFAF’s much anticipated launch in New York next month may present as much of a threat as an opportunity to the venerable art fair.
Reyburn worries that instead of expanding the Old Master-oriented fair’s reach to center of the global economy, it will give New York City’s sophisticated, cosmopolitan collector base an excuse not to make the annual March migration to Maastricht.
Frieze Masters, for all the elegance of its own “50 Shades” styling, still struggles to deliver “crossover” sales for dealers in older art. And Tefaf Maastricht, despite its quality and scale (last year it featured 276 dealers), is no longer the destination event it was, particularly now that it will be holding two “mini Tefafs” in New York in the fall and spring.
Paris Art Fairs Strive to Get Back on Track (The New York Times)
