“Kenny Schachter suggested yesterday that we have a three-day seminar on art fairs. I promise you we’re not here that long.” —Melanie Gerlis
With gallerists still sending out invoices from Dallas and Cologne, Brussels and Frieze New York coming in hot and heavy [no pun intended?], and wait – wasn’t the Armory just a minute ago?! – we are in the thick of art fair season now. In the last seven years, the Talking Galleries symposia – initially in Barcelona and now expanded around the globe – has established itself as a premier forum for gallerists and the professionals around them in the international art market to come together and talk shop. At this year’s symposium in Barcelona from January 21-22, 2019 Melanie Gerlis of the Financial Times spoke with two gallerists-turned-art-fair-directors Elizabeth Dee of Independent, and Maribel Lopez of ARCOmadrid on the topic of “Is the art fair system unfair?” They did not talk for three days, but their conversation is well worth following for anyone who is interested in or participates in the art fair system – for better and for worse.