Alain Servais, a Brussels-based collector who before the pandemic would typically attend around 15 major art fairs per year, said that the crisis provided an opportunity for smaller regional events. But Arabella Coebergh, a spokeswoman for Art Rotterdam, said that an expected announcement by the Dutch government next week regarding pandemic restrictions could lead to the postponement of the fair until July. Still, said Mr. Servais, “There is room for local fairs if they have a good focus — I’m not so worried about them.” But he added: “The big international fairs are most exposed this year. “In 2017, we were doing 12 art fairs,” said Marianne Boesky, a New York-based gallerist. When I looked at our revenues compared to overheads at art fairs, we barely broke even, and that didn’t count the man hours.”In 2021, Ms. Boesky’s program will be cut down to about six fairs in Europe, the United States and Asia, she said.

Source: International New York Times January 05, 2021 14:03 UTC