Art Basel Paris Leads Fall Art Fair Priorities Among Advisors

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Art Basel Paris is considered the top priority among art advisors for the fall season, according to a recent survey. Advisors emphasized the fair's“perfectly sized” format and“super high-quality booths,” with collector interest concentrated there.

As the fall art market season commences, advisors are also seeking out distinct and new offerings. New York advisor Ashley Carr and business partner Suzanne Modica plan to attend November's Art Week Tokyo to explore the new Tokyo Jazz Club, an offshoot of the Basel Social Club. Meanwhile, Amar Zahr of AAZ Advisory, which operates across New York, Berlin, and Dubai with a significant UAE collector base, is focused on the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi in November to observe its positioning within the region's rapidly changing art landscape.

In the exhibition sphere, New York and London remain key locations for significant shows, with many galleries scheduling major works for September and October. Carr highlighted solo exhibitions in New York this month, including Mexican painter Ana Segovia's debut at Kurimanzutto, Michael E. Smith's minimalist sculptures at Maxwell Graham's new Tribeca space, and a collection of 1990s works by artist-musician Jutta Koether at Galerie Buchholz.

Benjamin Godsill praised the New Museum's upcoming survey of Arthur Jafa, which opens on September 25, noting Jafa as a“dynamic and incisive artist we should be celebrating.” Jafa is also featured alongside Richard Prince in the exhibition Helter Skelter at the Fondazione Prada in Venice, running through November. His work Mike and Big (2024) sold for $85,000 during the opening hours of Frieze Seoul, and editioned works fetched approximately $95,000 at Art Basel in June.

London's art scene is experiencing a resurgence. Berlin-based gallery Heidi is opening its Maddox Street space this month with works by New York artist Brook Hsu, marking her U.K. debut. Gagosian is presenting a Magritte exhibition, capitalizing on strong demand for Surrealism. Ahead of Frieze Week, Thaddaeus Ropac is mounting a Georg Baselitz show, the first since the artist's death in April.

The fall auction season carries particular significance, according to Adam Green, due to“real momentum” following successful May sales in New York and June's Lewis Collection sale in London. This momentum is currently concentrated at the top, driven by high prices for major trophy lots. Green will monitor whether this trend extends to day sales or remains confined to higher-value evening events.

Consignments suggest a focus on masterpieces. Sotheby's secured the $450 million Blaquier Collection, featuring Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works by artists such as Van Gogh, Degas, Pissarro, and Renoir. This collection became available after a legal dispute regarding its export from Argentina. Although the full list of lots is not confirmed, a piece from Paul Cézanne's“Harlequin” series could exceed $120 million, and a Van Gogh chestnut-tree canvas might reach $150 million to $200 million.

Christie's announced two significant Modernist lots for its 20th/21st Century Evening Sale during London's Frieze Week. These include a Piet Mondrian, Composition III (1922), never before offered at auction, estimated to bring £20 million–£30 million ($27.2 million–$40.8 million). Also featured is a newly restituted Wassily Kandinsky, Das bunte Leben (1907), recovered after a decade-long legal battle, expected to fetch over $30 million.

Advisors maintain that the market remains“measured” due to ongoing macroeconomic volatility. Green stated,“While there is a sense of optimism coming out of the summer, looming geopolitical crises could still weigh on confidence, and fiscal policies such as tariffs could dampen the mood.”

However, Godsill expressed optimism, saying,“It seems to me that plenty of people will remain who can afford to collect art, presuming they don't run a deficit of imagination or curiosity, no matter if the Fed clicks up rates a basis point or two.”

We previously reported:

Frieze Seoul galleries reported robust sales on opening day, with major works sold for millions, despite broader economic fluctuations in Korea.

Source: Artnet News

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