Responding to complaints that the preview day has become overcrowded, Tefaf Maastricht 2018 (10-18 March) will hold two invitation-only opening days for the fair, one for VVIPs and another for mere VIPs. On Thursday 8 March around 5,000 guests will be admitted for the early access day, followed by a preview day for around 7,000 on Friday 9 March.
Tefaf Maastricht used to be known for an august if largely unchanging exhibitor list–getting a stand was a case of dead men’s shoes–but there is now more flux from year to year. In 2017, there were 18 new exhibitors and in 2018, 16 (6%) of the 269 galleries (excluding the Showcase section of five new, younger galleries) are first-timers. They include: Massimo De Carlo (Italy), Mazzoleni (UK) and Perrotin (France) all in the Modern sector; Galerie Chenel (France) in the ancient art sector, and S Franses (UK) in the antiques sector. Design has also been bolstered this year, growing from 12 to 17 exhibitors, with newcomers including Galerie Jousse Enterprise (France), Oscar Graf (France), Galerie Marc Heiremans (Belgium) and Thomas Fritsch - Artrium (France).
One notable absence in the paintings sector is Old Master dealer Johnny Van Haeften, who announced that the 2017 edition would be his final fair, following the closure of his gallery in St James’s, London—although he continues to deal privately and recently exhibited at Frieze Masters in London.
Meanwhile, the second edition of Tefaf New York Fall opens this week (28 October–1 November) with 93 exhibitors (10 of them new to the fair) at the Park Avenue Armory.
