Tefaf Maastricht, due to run from 11 to 19 September in Maastricht, The Netherlands, has been cancelled “after careful consideration of current global circumstances," according to a statement.
The 34th edition of the fair was originally planned for March, but pushed back to May due to the coronavirus pandemic, then postponed again until September, when it was scheduled to be held just before Art Basel.
Tefaf has good reason to be cautious. Last year the fair was shut down early after at least 25 people tested positive for the coronavirus after attending the fair. Tefaf will move ahead with their second digital edition, Tefaf Online 2021, which will run from 9 to 13 September, while the in-person fair is slated to return for their 35th anniversary in March 2022.
“Tefaf is focused on gathering our community of dealers, collectors, and vendors for our signature fair experience in a physical setting as soon as circumstances allow,” says Hidde van Seggelen, Tefaf's chairman.
The fair’s cancellation is sure to leave the art collecting public wondering whether Art Basel, which is due to run from 23 to 26 September, will be moving ahead as planned.
