Art fairs power much of the art market. In fact, according to the most recent Art Basel/UBS report, sales from these events comprised 40 percent of dealers’ total haul in 2019. So when fairs came to a halt last spring, galleries scrambled for alternatives.
Since then, we’ve realized there’s nothing like the real thing when it comes to sparking sales, connections, and conversations. Hopes are high that some art fairs might proceed in person this year. But they won’t necessary look like the crowded, convention center-dwelling affairs we’re used to—or take place on a normal schedule.
Both the Outsider Art Fair in Manhattan and BRAFA in Brussels are taking a roving approach, with multiple locations spread out across cities. Frieze Los Angeles, meanwhile, is leaving Paramount Studios for a citywide “nomadic” format in July, though it will return to its traditional February dates in 2022.
There are still a lot of digital fairs taking place, beginning with the London Art Fair: Edit (January 20–31) and Winter Show Online (January 22–31), and Artefiera (January 21–24). But for planning purposes, we’ve adhered to a strict in-person only list below.
All dates, as we now know, are subject to change, and we’ll keep updating this calendar as more information comes through.
JANUARY + FEBRUARY
?? 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, January 20–23
Christie’s Paris at Avenue Matignon
?? SEA Focus, Singapore, January 20–31
Tanjong Pagar Distripark
? Brafa in the Galleries, January 27–31
Various galleries in Amsterdam / Antwerp / Arezzo / Ath / Barcelona / Beaune / Beziers / Blaricum / Brussels / Budapest / Cannes / Dommelen / Florence / Frankfurt am Main / Freiburg / Geneva / Ghent / Knokke / Lisbon / London / Marseille / Mechelen / Milan / Moscow / München / Nagoya / New York / Ostend / Paris / Racconigi / Rome / San Francisco / Sint-Martens-Latem / Venice / Waalwijk / Wijnegem / Zürich
?? Outsider Art Fair, January 28–February 7
Various gallery locations across Manhattan
?? Art Madrid, February 26–March 1
Galería de Cristal de CentroCentro Cibeles
MARCH + APRIL
?? Private Art Fair, March 11–16
Palm Beach, Florida
?? Art Dubai, March 17–20
Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Events Center
?? Art Fair Tokyo, March 19–21
Tokyo International Forum Hall East
?? NOMAD St. Moritz, March 24–27
Chesa Planta
?? PAD Paris Design + Art, April 1–11
Tuileries, Paris
Vancouver Art Fair, April 15–18
Vancouver Convention Centre
?? Milan Image Art Fair, April 30–May 3
Superstudio Maxi Milan
MAY 2021
?? Frieze New York, May 7–9
The Shed, Manhattan
?? SP-Arte, May 12–16
Bienal Pavilion, Ibirapuera São Paulo Park
?? Affordable Art Fair, May 20–23
Metropolitan Center, Manhattan
?? Art Basel in Hong Kong, May 21–23
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center
?? Cape Town Art Fair, May 21–23
Cape Town International Convention Center
?? art KARLSRUHE, May 21–24
Karlsruhe Exhibition Center
?? Collectible Design, May 27–30
Vanderborght Building, Brussels
JUNE, JULY, + AUGUST
?? Liste Art Fair, June 14–20
Messeplatz 10
?? artgenève, June 17–20
Palexpo Convention Center, Geneva
?? Masterpiece London, June 24–29
Royal Hospital Chelsea
?? Art Rotterdam, July 1–4
Van Nellefabriek
?? Taipei Dangdai, July 2–4
Taipei Nangant Exhibition Center
?? Frieze Los Angeles, July 26–29
Various sites across the city
?? LA Art Show Modern + Contemporary, July 29–August 1
LA Convention Center, West Hall
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER
?? Haute Photographie, September
Olympic Station, Amsterdam
?? viennacontemporary, September 2–5
?? The Armory Show, September 9–12
Javits Center, Manhattan
?? Art Paris, September 9–12
Grand Palais Éphémère
?? The Independent Art Fair, September 9–12
Cipriani South Street
?? Photo London, September 9–12
Somerset House, London
?? Cosmoscow International Contemporary Art Fair, September 10–12
Moscow’s Gostiny Dvor
?? TEFAF Maastricht, September 11–19
MECC Maastricht, Forum 100
?? Art Basel in Basel, September 23–26
Messeplatz 10
?? PAD London Design + Art, October 4–10
Berkeley Square W1
?? Frieze London + Frieze Masters, October 13–17
Regents Park
?? FIAC, October 21–24
Grand Palais Ephémère
?? ADAA’s The Art Show, November 3–7
Park Avenue Armory, New York
?? Dallas Art Fair, November 11–14
?? Paris Photo, November 11–14
Grand Palais Ephémère, Champ-de-Mars, Paris
?? Art Basel in Miami Beach, December 2–5
Miami Beach Convention Center
CANCELLATIONS:
?? Art Wynwood, February 11–15
The Art Wynwood Pavilion at One Herald Plaza
?? Palm Beach Modern & Contemporary, March 18–21
Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary Pavilion, Florida
?? Art Brussels, Spring 2022
Tour & Taxis, Brussels
?? Expo Chicago, April 8–11 IRL Event dates TBD
Navy Pier, Illinois
?? TEFAF New York, May 7–10
Park Avenue Armory, Manhattan