Two years ago, when it seemed like everyone I knew was shitting their pants with excitement about the inaugural Seattle Art Fair, I was skeptical to a degree that was, in all honesty, probably kind of annoying.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy seeing what all the galleries have to offer. It’s just that there’s something about throwing a bunch of art together in a convention center where the only common thread is that it’s all for sale that has always struck me as more than a teensy bit crass. I come to art seeking mystery and meaning; art fairs constantly remind me of capitalism.
By the second Seattle Art Fair, my skepticism had softened a bit. “Okay, this is actually really good,” I found myself thinking as I listened to Brian Jungen speak about the tensions he experiences as a First Nations artist working with institutions that can’t help but perpetuate colonialism. The vibe of commerce still permeated everything, but there were also some important conversations happening.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in the business who unequivocally loves the idea of an art fair,” says Marcella Zimmermann of Cultural Counsel, the New York–based firm handling PR for the Seattle Art Fair. “But galleries help artists survive financially, and art fairs help the galleries survive, so they’re a necessary part of the ecosystem.”