The Groove 228 - Too Many Art Fairs, Not Enough Buyers: What Are We Even Doing?
Welcome to the 228th issue of The Groove.
I am Maria Brito, an art advisor, curator, and author based in New York City.
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TOO MANY ART FAIRS, NOT ENOUGH BUYERS: WHAT ARE WE EVEN DOING?
This past week in New York, I went to six art fairs.
Yes, six.
Frieze. NADA. TEFAF. SPRING/BREAK. Future. Independent.
And that doesn’t even count Esther, Clio, The Other Art Fair or the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair - none of which I made it to, because unlike the art world, I don’t have unlimited bandwidth.
And here’s the wild part: we’re in a down market. Collectors are cautious. Sales are slower. Price resistance is real.
So why does it feel like the art world is throwing a confetti parade every other block?
Let’s break it down.
Frieze: The Main Character Who’s Not That Interesting Anymore
Frieze New York’s VIP Preview at The Shed on May 7th, 2025. (c) Maria Brito
Frieze New York was always supposed to be the crown jewel. The fair. The flex. The mega-gallery moment. But this year, it felt… fine? Safe? Predictable?
It was blue-chip booths doing what they do best: not taking risks.
If Frieze were a person, it would be a finance bro with good skin and zero emotional availability. Still rich, still pretty, just not surprising anymore.
TEFAF: Where Price Tags Go to Gaslight You
You walk into TEFAF and suddenly you’re being offered a $3.2 million still life that looks like it came from a Dutch auntie’s dining room.
It’s stunning, sure. But it’s also wildly overpriced and often aimed at buyers who haven’t done their research or don’t care to.
European dealers fly in expecting to sell like it’s Maastricht circa 2007. Spoiler: it’s not.
If you’ve got a loose inheritance and no question to ask, this is your playground.
NADA and Independent: The Cool Kids with Real Struggles
These two fairs are where you see the next wave forming, as long as you look closely.
They’re also where the economic tension is most visible: incredible booths, great energy, but dealers hustling hard to break even.
There’s creativity. There’s curation. There’s risk.
But there’s also the anxiety of trying to move five-figure works to collectors currently ghosting invoices.
Still, this is where the future lives and it’s fighting to survive.
SPRING/BREAK: Still Weird, Still Artist-Run, But a Little Light on Magic
SPRING/BREAK hasn’t lost its essence: artists still apply directly, often teaming up with independent curators. The result is always a little chaotic, a little brilliant, and very DIY.
It’s one of the last fairs where artists are truly front and center.
But this year? The discoveries were slim. Maybe all the artists who could’ve been here are already working with galleries that show at NADA or Future?
The vibe was there, but the breakout moments - the ones that make you stop mid-scroll or text a collector immediately - were few and far between.
Still, you go for the risk, the spirit, the mess. That matters too.
What Are We All Doing, Actually?
This is the question no one wants to say out loud:
Why are we still doing all of this if buyers aren’t buying like it’s 2022?
The answer: because the optics matter.
The visibility. The grid presence. The “we showed at…” prestige.
We’ve turned the art world into a treadmill where everyone’s burning energy just to stay in the frame.
Even if no one’s buying, God forbid you’re not seen.
The Bottom Line
The market is down, but the fair calendar is up. Everyone’s tired. Everyone’s pretending they’re not.
Maybe what we need isn’t fewer fairs, it’s fewer delusions. More honesty. More flexibility. More actual support for artists and galleries who are grinding it out.
Until then?
See you at the next fair.