Here is a summary of a debate on abovementioned subject:
Art fairs, scoff the critics, have become shopping malls for the super-rich. They are giant marketplaces for the wealthy to buy, invest and speculate on the commodity of art. Galleries pressure artists to churn out 'safe', sellable works, which are not so much looked at as bought in bulk. But are art fairs in fact the perfect format for visitors to see art from all over the world which they wouldn't otherwise see? And by allowing artists to show their work to potential buyers en masse are these shows a crucial lifeline for artists today?
The panel debates the motion: Art fairs are about money not art. Chaired by Simon de Pury
Arguing for the motion are Louisa Buck, Jasper Joffe, and Matthew Collings.
Louisa Buck begins the defence with the claim that art fairs are commercial, rather than curatorial in nature. She believes that art fairs provide an opportunity to see how the art world operates and to see what it deems to be good art.
Jasper Joffe argues that collectors, rather than artists, hold the power at art fairs. This ultimately corrupts art and hinders both creativity and the emergence of a meritocracy in the art world.
Matthew Collings argues that art fairs are by definition consumerist. Art fairs are one of the worst ways to encounter art because art exists, and should exist, as an antidote to consumerism.
Arguing against the motion are Richard Wentworth, Matthew Slotover and Sir Norman Rosenthal.
Richard Wentworth argues that it is up to the individual to choose whether to visit an art fair and to make their own judgements about the art exhibited there. Art fairs exist as one component of the process of developing self-knowledge.
Matthew Slotover argues that the primary aim of art fairs is to buy and sell art, but also to provide visitors with an opportunity to encounter a wide and thought-provoking range of art.
Norman Rosenthal explains that art fairs are merely one way of encountering art. It would be hypocritical to suppose that art should not be about money when all those participating in the industry need it to support themselves.
Final Vote: A show of hands of the audience revealed that the numbers of those in favour of the motion and those against the motion were about the same, with a small minority undecided.
