Artinfo published a breakdown of some of the various expenses associated with participation in an art fair, comparing booth prices for several events (the upcoming Toronto Art Fair not included) along with estimated costs for things like hotels, airfare, and art shipping costs. The resulting figures are, like anything else to do with contemporary art, staggering, but unsurprising. For an up-and-coming artist or gallery, is the exposure garnered through participation in an art fair worth the hefty price tag?
Read on for the full write up, courtesy of Artinfo.
Originally published on artinfo.com
In Art + Auction’s survey of the event-driven art market, “What’s an Art Fair Worth?,” we endeavor to determine exactly how much money gallerists spend on art fairs and what these different events cost. From more than two dozen gallery submissions, we estimated the average booth price of a wide range of art fairs. Those findings — alongside a case study for one gallery’s Art Basel budget — are below.
TYPICAL BOOTH PRICES
TEFAF Maastricht: $60,000
Art Basel: $58,000
Art Basel Miami Beach: $55,000
Frieze London: $45,000
The Armory Show: $35,000
Salon of Art + Design: $35,000
Expo Chicago: $30,000
ADAA’s The Art Show (New York): $26,000
Dallas Art Fair: $17,500
Independent (New York): $12,000
NADA Miami: $10,000
Outsider Art Fair (New York): $9,000
Art Berlin Contemporary: $4,800
A CASE STUDY AT ART BASEL
Booth: $58,000
Walls and lights: $10,500
Flights and shipping: $30,000
Hotels: $14,400
Food: $7,000
Local car transport: $650
Furniture rental for booth: $1,900
Misc. supplies: $100
TOTAL: $122,550
— Julia Halperin