Whether you are going to Art Basel Miami with or without your art advisor this week, the fairs are an excellent opportunity to view what’s hot in today’s contemporary art market. Tang Art Advisory´s senior art advisor Annelien Bruins shares in the firm´s blogg 3 tips to make an art fair experience as enjoyable as possible.
Prepare
If you are intent on thoroughly reviewing the art that’s on offer at the many fairs, make your life easy and do your homework in advance. View the floor plans of the fairs and mark your favorite galleries to make sure you don’t miss them once you get there (it is easy to get lost or overwhelmed). If you are interested in particular works, do some research or have your art advisor do it for you (i.e. on artnet.com) to have price points available.
Resist the pressure
With so many fellow art collectors and art enthusiasts roaming Miami Beach it is easy to feel pressured into buying a painting or sculpture on the spot. Try not to fall into this trap. If you are seriously considering a purchase, many galleries will allow you to reserve a piece for a limited amount of time. Use that opportunity for a stroll around Miami Beach to determine if you really want the work or if you could live without it.
Use your iPhone
You will have your iPhone with you so why not use it? When you see a work you like, take a photograph of it, as well as of the wall label and gallery sign. I find that keeping your photos in a certain sequence will make it easy to retrieve them and jog your memory the next day. It would be devastating if another collector scooped up the artwork of your dreams because you forgot which gallery had it on offer!