The Art Newspaper

Financial situation forces gallery withdrawals

Events affected in New York, Dubai and Maastricht

By Andrew Goldstein. From Armory daily edition
Published online: 04 March 2009

The Armory Show is opening today with an unprecedented sweep of exhibitors across two piers (total numbers are up from 160 last year to 177 this year in Pier 94 plus the additional 68 modern galleries in Pier 92), but veteran fairgoers will probably notice some conspicuous absences. Due to the economic downturn or other reasons—some relating to the show’s new management under Merchandise Mart Properties—around 45 dealers have pulled out of the fair.

“There have been some dropouts over the last few months,” said Armory Show spokesman Giovanni Garcia-Fenech. He added that several dealers had opted for smaller, cheaper stands.

For many of the galleries who aren’t returning, the expense of exhibiting was too great in the face of uncertain sales. “I decided not to have a booth this year only because it’s two or three months’ rent, and I would rather pay my bills here,” said Bill Brady of New York’s ATM Gallery.

Some galleries, such as Berlin’s Buchmann Galerie, were on the fair waiting list and were then offered space but turned it down because of the economy. However, Greene Naftali withdrew in July “for reasons unrelated to the economy but related to the management of the fair”, said dealer Carol Greene. Some felt the Armory, founded by maverick dealers such as Colin de Land and Matthew Marks, had lost touch with its origins. “It’s become a huge corporation,” said one gallerist.

A number of dealers—including Marks—skipped the Armory this year in favour of the Art Dealers Association of America’s Art Show, a more local affair held last month in Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory. David Maupin of Lehmann Maupin Gallery said he took a “hiatus” from the Armory this year to do the ADAA fair “because it’s small, really focused, and is a destination”.

However, 114 galleries did return to the Armory this year, including major players such as Yvon Lambert (P94/933), David Zwirner (P94/1001) and PaceWildenstein (P94/1019). “We are committed to the fair as a New York [and Paris/London]-based gallery,” said Olivier Belot, the director general of Yvon Lambert. “The new modern section in Pier 92 means the fair will have a different audience with a new energy.”

The Armory is not the only fair to see some exhibitors melt away. More than two dozen galleries who showed at Art Dubai last year will not be back when the fair returns later this month (18-21 March). “We just decided not to do it, it’s a big schlep,” said New York dealer Bonni Benrubi, who added that she’s “grateful” for her decision considering the difficult state of Dubai’s economy.

London’s Xerxes Gallery has “pulled out” according to a representative, while Portugal’s Galeria Mário Sequeira decided not to reapply. “It’s always difficult to start in a different market and in this climate it’s particularly hard,” said Federico Sequeira.

Also opening later this month is the Tefaf fair in Maastricht (13-22 March). The former European Fine Art Fair, which specialises in top end fine and decorative arts, has lost nine exhibitors including the Acquavella Galleries, Jablonka Galerie and the Grey Gallery.