TEFAF New York recently threw open its gilded doors, and apparently, the art world decided to collectively exhale. Dealers are calling it the best fair in ages, with aisles so packed you'd think they were giving away free Picassos. Turns out, when the stock market feels like a game of Jenga, people start looking for something a bit more, well, solid.
Art adviser Ralph DeLuca put it plainly: people are bullish on art, antiques, and collectibles because they're tired of watching their investments do a digital dive. Suddenly, a 3,300-year-old Egyptian stele feels like a safer bet than whatever meme stock is trending this week. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying.
TEFAF, now a decade old, isn't your average art bash. It's the kind of place where you can pivot from an ancient Egyptian carving to a Calder mobile to a brand-new painting, all within a few steps. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure for the aesthetically inclined.
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Start Your News DetoxAlison Jacques, a gallery from London, brought Dorothea Tanning paintings to mingle with Robert Mapplethorpe and Gordon Parks photographs. Jonathan Maisie, their managing director, observed that TEFAF is a rare beast: a fair where "discovery" is still a thing, not just a "feeding frenzy." Imagine that – a place to actually look at art, not just elbow for it.
The Art of the Deal, and the Art of the Vibe
Sean Kelly Gallery nailed the historical-meets-contemporary vibe, with Shahzia Sikander's shimmering mosaic, The Hour Glass, cozying up to Sam Moyer's stone paintings. Kelly himself noted the welcome atmosphere, suggesting people were finally ready to enjoy themselves after what he politely termed a "long period of national depression." Because apparently that's where we are now.
Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries made a splash with their debut, featuring a Eugène Delacroix lion study from 1841, a Willem de Kooning from 1976, and a Calder mobile from 1946. Cofounder Emmanuel Di Donna described the crowds as "insane," which is probably a compliment in art fair speak.
The historical range was truly something. London antiquities dealer David Aaron managed to sell a 3,300-year-old Egyptian limestone stele depicting Pharaoh Thutmose IV. Because who doesn't need a pharaoh making offerings in their living room? Meanwhile, Thaddaeus Ropac showcased new, unsettlingly beautiful paintings by Danish artist Eva Helene Pade, where crowds dissolve into smoke and shadow.
Salon 94 went full immersive, designing their booth like a collector's apartment, complete with John Kacere paintings, Tom Sachs furniture, and ceramic vessels. It was less a display, more an invitation to slow down and pretend you lived there.
In a world of blink-and-you-miss-it contemporary fairs, TEFAF New York offers a refreshing pause. It's where you can sip champagne and ponder the merits of ancient pharaohs versus modern riot scenes. And honestly, that sounds like a much better way to spend an afternoon than checking your portfolio.
