Art Fair Agnostic

The big corporate art fairs are a triumph. Of what? Jerry Saltz says start with the money: “Welcome to the branded and marketed art world of 2005. Maybe it’s always been this way, but it’s certainly more so now. These days art fairs are perfect storms of money, marketability, and instant gratification—tent-city casinos where art is shipped in and parked for five days, while spectators gawk as comped V.I.P.s and shoppers roll the dice for all to see. And in this game, everybody plays: artists, dealers, and buyers.”