Art Fairs: A Gateway to Galleries, Curators, and Collectors

As artists working in our silos, we can miss the movements, ideas, and evolving language of contemporary art–even as we contribute to it.

Art Fairs are densely packed exhibitions showcasing artists of every medium and an opportunity to be immersed in and catch up on what is happening in contemporary art. Galleries participate with the best work to represent their roster, exposing them to a wider public, passionate collectors, and corporate buyers attend, quietly acquiring. With artists, curators, art writers, and buyers all in attendance, it’s not just the works engaged in conversation with one another–fairs buzz with every level of the current discourse (including some gossip.)

Platforming established and emerging artists, Art Fairs provide a level-entry to participants, and attending one is a new opportunity to see not only where art is right now but where it may be going. Like so many things, the prevailing styles and interests–even if international in scope, can be entirely regional, and every fair represents so much of the place it’s held. Ultimately this is why there can be no one-true-art-fair as the voice of art now; each has its own inflection.

Below we have broken it down by continent and country to give you a brief on what each fair has to offer.

North America 

United States 

1. Art Basel Miami 
   December
   Famously and infamously (thanks to a banana), the most influential Fair held in the US, Art Basel is known for shaping tastes and launching careers, attracting collectors and curators drawn to the careful balance of edge, spectacle, and prestige.
2. Miami Art Week
   December
   Art Basel Miami falls under this larger event–or series of events, not a fair itself but a collection of events, pop-ups, and spotlights. If you’re in Miami for Art Basel, explore what the city offers of its arts community.  
3. The Armory Show
   2025 dates TBD
   The New York-based Armory Art Show is thematically organized, making it easy to hone in on emerging artists in their Presents section, or attend a talk at the symposium Armory Live, this discursive element positions this fair as not only of commercial and professional interest but as intentional in their education and outreach
4. Frieze Art Fair
   May 2025
   Frieze Art Fair, New York, carves a distinct identity by making space for ephemeral, experimental, and not strictly commercial through performance and sound works. Artists seeking out live, relational works might be most interested in Freize.
5. LA Art Show
   February 2025
   In a city known for arts in filmmaking, the stakeholders know how to put on a compelling show and draw a crowd. Sure to be attended by key collectors and taste-makers.
6. Expo Chicago (acquired by Frieze in 2023)
   April 2025
   Held each year at the historic Navy Pier, Chicago may not be as prominent in the art scene as New York or LA, but they strip away the flash and focus on the substance. Their established partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago gives the stage for theoretical discussion, while Frieze’s heft further strengthens the international draw.

Canada 

1. Art Toronto
   October
   Canada’s premier art fair, is not just a gathering of Canadian a International artists, but a true conversation between works with multiple curatorial projects featured, fostering dialogue and a sense of connection between artists and artworks.
2. Plural
   April
   Expanding beyond its inception as Paper/Papier, Montreal’s Plural art fair has since broadened its scope beyond a singular surface, now a diverse exhibition of contemporary Canadian art. Notably organized by galleries with discussions centered around collecting, accessibility of art, and in meta-commentary, art fairs themselves.
3. Momenta Biennale de l’image – Contemporary Art Biennial, Montreal (formerly Mois de la Photo)
   Fall 2025
   Like Plural, Momenta has shed its identity centered around photography, though the 2025 thematic The Missing Image has foundations in the medium. More a curated exhibition than a commercial fair, Momenta positions itself as a Biennale, yet is undeniably influential in later commercial exhibitions. 
4. Toronto Outdoor Art Fair
   Canada’s largest outdoor art fair, with genres of craft, sculpture and textile forefronted, emerging artists are also emphasized by the accessibility of submissions, making this a showcase of new talent.

Europe 

United Kingdom 

1. London Art Fair
   January 2025
   Beyond the usual collection of the best of the best galleries UK and internationally, the London Art Fair took a recent step toward broader inclusion, nurturing a new generation of collectors by introducing a section dedicated to prints and editions. Art within reach. Prices start at 500£–well, someone’s reach.
2. Frieze London
   October
   Despite the third inclusion, Frieze is not a traveling fair, each a distinct showcase, shaped by the identity of the city in which it’s held. While the London Art Fair covers the standard, well, fare, Frieze is determined to highlight innovation. 

France 

1. Paris Photo (formerly Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain)
   November
   While some fairs expand, others contract in focus, FIAC became Paris Photo in 2022, remaining one of the most prestigious and established organizations in the European Art Fair scene. Now, it is a beacon to photo-based artists and collectors who appreciate the capture.
2. Art Paris
   April 2025
   Each year the selected theme lays the foundation of the fair, Figurative Painting will shape the 2025 exhibition; if vampires and zombies alternate dominance in the narrative zeitgeist every few years, so too do the genres of figurative and abstract rotate in the discourse of fine art.
   It’s a vampire year.
3. DRAWING NOW Art Fair
   March 2025
   For those missing Paper/Papier’s reverence for the surface, there will be plenty of it here in Paris’ DRAWING NOW. While drawing can conjure the image of pencil and charcoal; already re-defined by Cy Twombly in the early 20th century, contemporary drawing is far more inclusive of medium and technique. This fair provides an expansive overview of the genre now.

Germany 

1. Art Cologne
   November
   As one of the oldest art fairs, Art Cologne paved the way for the more heavily marketed fairs globally, while quietly remaining one of the largest and most influential. Serious collectors may well start here, and artists looking for a substantive view of contemporary art without spectacle.
2. Berlin Art Week
   September 2025
   Exactly what you would expect of Berlin Art Week. And we mean that in the best way. Berlin Art Week celebrates innovation with space for Performance, immersive installations, and conceptual experiences. If you can go, you should go.
3. Positions Berlin Art Fair
   September 2025
   A relatively young fair, having been established just ten years ago, Positions feels it with works and programming that are fresh, gutsy and fun. There are talks and resources for young artists, as well as the usual exclusive experiences for the collectors. If you’re in Berlin in the fall, there’s no need to choose one fair over the other; if ever there was a why not both situation, this is it.

Italy 

1. Arte Fiera Bologna
   February 2025
   A specific draw is the partnership between Fair and Fondazione Furla, emphasizing elements for the public in each iteration with performance programming. Cross-institutional relationships encourage more eyes on the fair than the expected arts community, truly making this fair a conversation that envelopes a city.
2. MiArt Milan
   April 2025
   Biennale meets Art Fair, MiArt Milan’s exhibition programming contextualizes the current contemporary with art from the early 20th century. Satisfying artists exhibiting alongside masters, as well as the tastes and curiosities of collectors and art historians.
3. Artissima Turin
   November
   A fair that emphasizes experimentation and innovation, if MiArt covers the past to present, Artissima takes on the future without fear. A sub-section of the fair is additionally dedicated to works on paper, acknowledging a strong dichotomy between materials.

Asia 

China 

1. West Bund Art & Design
   November
   Held along Bund, a waterfront promenade, Shanghai’s Art & Design fair differs in the split focus, incorporating design and innovation into the programming. 

Japan 

1. Art Fair Tokyo
   March 2025, the longest-established Art Fair in Asia, there is a very open emphasis on the commercial purpose of Art Fairs, Tokyo provides exposure and a proven track record in platforming artists and driving sales directly from the fair. A fantastic opportunity to observe the business of art. 
2. Aichi Triennale
   September – November 2025
   Much like Momenta, the inclusion of this Triennale is to highlight how these exhibitions shape the fairs and the trends of tomorrow. This year is the opportunity to attend both! The theme of the Triennale is A Time Between Ashes and Roses, a beautifully poetic curatorial framework.

Turkey

1. Contemporary Istanbul
   October
   Nearing its twenty years of exhibition, Contemporary Istanbul offers a unique draw with its large-scale open-air sculpture garden. Sculpture at times grapples for attention between more commercially accessible mediums, but is equally deserving of the space. 

Latin America 

Mexico 

1. Zona Maco
   February 2025
   Blending Art Fair and Market, unifying fine art, craft and objects of use, this is the largest fair in Latin America and the most inclusive of an entire culture of making.
2. Material Art Fair
   September
   Guadalajara’s Material Art Fair is a more intimate exhibition of the best of Mexico’s galleries.

Brazil 

1. SP-Arte
   April 2025
   Part fair, part biennale, SP-Arte has drawn the most significant collectors in Brazil to its exhibition. Sculpture, installation, and textile works have been prominent in recent years, for artists working in these mediums, or collectors drawn to them, this fair is the one for you.
2. ArtRio
   September 2025
   Last year also expanding to include international submissions, Art Rio incorporates concurrent programming from surrounding galleries to bring visibility to the larger community.

Oceania

Australia 

1. Sydney Contemporary
   September 2025
   Sydney Contemporary is a fair that tries to tick every box, well-established and attended, this fair is equal parts exhibition and gala with live events, installations, a gallery of works on paper, a space dedicated to emerging artists, and a strong commercial focus, they are positioned as a fair that has it all. Artists with children may want to attend the special programming to engage kids in an immersive and interactive installation.
2. Melbourne Art Fair
   February 2025
   Organized by the non-profit Melbourne Art Foundation, the Melbourne Art Fair makes space for the more challenging, progressive, and grand. The shift from commercial to conceptual makes for singular exhibitions that are more biennale than fair in the curation of their Project rooms, while installations and interventions take over massive exhibition zones in Beyond. Those wanting a fair whose programming is not sponsored by private interests should attend this one.
3. TARNANTHI
   September 2025
   A traveling fair exhibited in Adelaide and across South Australia, Tarnanthi celebrates the continent’s Aboriginal artists, with an emphasis on storytelling, performance, and education

Africa 

1. ArtXLagos
   October
   The premier Art Fair in West Africa, though international, ArtXLagos is focused on art speaking of and to the culture of Africa and its diaspora. Works in film, music, and relational performance envelop the attendees in the programming of ArtXLive, and ArtXCinema, while The Projects promises concept-driven curation within the exhibition spaces.

South Africa 

1. Investec Cape Town Art Fair
   February 2025
   South Africa’s largest Art Fair, organized by The Fiera Milano Group, one of the longest-established organizers of exhibitions, concurrently collaborates with the capital’s galleries in programming during the month.
2. FNB Joburg
   TBD
   Held in Johannesburg, South Africa’s most populous city, FNB Joburb aims to centralize a spotlight on African art. Influential and proudly contemporary, a stand-out piece of programming is at ORG, with a look at the relationship between art and the institution, especially relevant in conversations around Euro-centric art history and curation.
   A fair with special interest for art writers and those whose works engage in this discussion.
3. Turbine Art Fair
   July 2025
   With a new home on the horizon, this fair promises accessibility in the arts, showcasing not only those emerging but also fostering the growth of artists without gallery representation. A fair to bring other emerging artists some inspiration and confidence, and for collectors wanting to take home those early works by the next big thing.

Almost Everywhere

The Other Art Fair
Meriting its own section in recognition of its near-ubiquity, The Other Art Fair stages its exhibitions in London, Melbourne, Sydney, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas
The cool couch-surfing sibling of the older, established Art Fair, The Other Art Fair is grounded in inclusion, community, and accessibility in the Art World. Go for the Art, stay for the vibes.