The Phenomenon of International Contemporary Art Fairs

This essay investigates international contemporary art fairs and considers their place within the operations that comprise the market for contemporary art.  To give a comprehensive picture of the art fair phenomenon, a sampling of some of the preeminent international contemporary art fairs in the current marketplace is presented.  The art fairs addressed in detail are Art Basel, Frieze Art Fair, the Armory Show, Art Basel Miami Beach, and Art Cologne.  In addition to considering the workings of the primarty fairs, this essay discusses the perspecitves of, and issues faced by, the main art fair participants, namely, dealers/gallerists, collectors, museums, the general public, artists and other groups such as corporate entities.