It’s hard to believe, but the end of summer 2023—a summer that felt like it barely got going—is almost upon us. For the art world, this means the return of, well, the art world: Major auctions, art fairs, and gallery openings will return en masse for a fall season that seems to expand with events every passing year.
For those just getting back into the swing of things, Artsy has you covered. Here, we offer a quick rundown of all the major fairs, auctions, and art market happenings taking place over the remaining four months of 2023.
September
Interior view of Frieze Seoul, 2022. Photo by Lets Studio. Courtesy of Lets Studio and Frieze.
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In September, the kids return to school, and art insiders return to the fair hall. Things really get going in the first week of the month, when a number of fairs are taking place around the world. In South Korea, the second edition of Frieze Seoul takes place September 6th–9th, with more than 120 galleries participating. The fair will share the COEX exhibition center with the Korean International Art Fair (KIAF), which takes place September 7th–10th, with more than 200 exhibitors.
In Australia, meanwhile, Sydney Contemporary will take place at Carriageworks from September 7th–10th with more than 90 galleries; and in New York, TheArmory Show—which was recently acquired by Frieze—returns to the Javits Center with more than 200 exhibitors from September 7th–10th. Independent 20th Century and Art on Paper take place during the same period in the Big Apple, while Photofairs New York opens the day after, and similarly ends on September 10th.
Interior view of Sydney Contemporary, 2022. Courtesy of Sydney Contemporary.
Other notable art fairs taking place in September include Viennacontemporary (September 7th–10th), PositionsBerlin (September 14th–17th), Menart Paris (September 14th–17th) and ArtRio (September 13th–17th).
Auction calendars begin to fill up too, with a handful of sales on the books. Sotheby’s will host “Contemporary Discoveries” in Hong Kong on September 5th; an Old Master and 19th-century sale in London on September 13th-20th; “Modern Discoveries” in London on September 20th-27th; and “Contemporary Curated” in New York on September 28th. Christie’s will host “Contemporary Edition” in London on September 12th-28th; “20th/21st Century” in Hong Kong on September 24th; and “Post War to Present” in New York on September 29th. Phillips will host the second edition of its David Hockney sale in London on September 20th, and its “Evening and Day Editions” sale in the British capital on the same day.
In the gallery world, watch out for the new flagship space of Pilar Corrias Gallery opening on Conduit Street in London and Hollis Taggart’s expansion of its Chelsea space in New York.
October
Exterior view of Paris+ par Art Basel, 2022. Courtesy of Paris+ par Art Basel.
In October, Europe becomes the hub for major art fair happenings. Frieze London will host its 20th edition alongside Frieze Masters October 11th–15th, hosting more than 160 and 120 galleries, respectively. 1-54 also takes place in London’s Somerset House from October 12th–15th and features 50 exhibitors.
It’s then over to France for Paris+ par Art Basel, which returns for its second edition in the Grand Palais Éphémère with more than 150 galleries from October 18th–22nd. Asia NOW and AKAA Paris will also take place in the French capital from October 20th–22nd.
In New York, meanwhile, IFPDA Print Fair—the world’s largest print fair—hosts its 30th edition from October 26th–29th, with more than 90 exhibitors. Other notable fairs taking place in October include Art Taipei (October 20th–23rd), Art Toronto (October 26th–29th), Art Collaboration Kyoto (October 28th–30th).
Exterior of Frieze London, 2022. Photo by Linda Nylind. Courtesy of Linda Nylind and Frieze.
Auction sales thicken, too. Christie’s will host three sales of the Rothschild collection on October 11th, 12th, and 13th in New York, as well as post-war and contemporary sales in London on October 13th and 14th, respectively. Sotheby’s will host contemporary evening and day sales in Hong Kong on October 6th and 7th respectively, then its “The Now” evening auction and contemporary evening auction in London on October 12th, followed by a contemporary day auction the next day in the British capital.
Phillips will also host its 20th-century and contemporary art day and evening sales in London and Hong Kong, taking place on October 6th and 7th and October 12th and 13th, respectively.
In the gallery world, Alison Jacques and Tiwani Contemporary will both expand into new spaces in London’s Mayfair, while White Cube opens its long-awaited outpost in New York. Fellow mega-gallery Hauser & Wirth will also open a new four-story branch in Paris.
As the nights draw in, the art world calendar marches forward. Teeing off the month is the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) Art Show (November 1st–5th), which takes place at the Javits Center in New York with 78 galleries. Shortly afterward, Artissima (November 2nd–5th) brings more than 180 galleries to Northern Italy; while in Nigeria, ARTXLagos returns for its 8th edition over the same period. It’s then Paris Photo (November 9th–12th), which hosts up to 200 photography-driven exhibitors at the Grand Palais Éphémère. The world’s oldest art fair, Art Cologne (November 16th–19th), also returns with 190 exhibitors in the storied Western German art town.
Other notable fairs taking place this month include Art San Diego (November 3rd–5th), ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art (November 9th-12th), Art Jakarta (November 17th–19th), and Abu Dhabi Art (November 22nd–26th).
At auction, Phillips hosts its New York sales with its 20th-century and contemporary art evening and day sales happening on November 14th and 15th, respectively. Meanwhile in the gallery world, Ortuzar Projects is set to expand to a new space on West Broadway in New York.
December
Exterior view of Art Basel Miami Beach, 2022. Courtesy of Art Basel.
December in the art world means two things: Christmas and Miami Art Week, which features a number of fairs stretching until December 10th. Art Miami and UNTITLED Art Miami Beach kick off on December 5th, followed by NADA Miami and Design Miami the day after. The week concludes with Art Basel in Miami Beach (December 8th–10th), the largest art fair in the Western Hemisphere. Programs and details for these fairs have yet to be announced in full.
Other fairs taking place in Miami over the course of the week include CONTEXT Art Miami (December 5th–10th), Scope Miami Beach (December 5th–10th), SATELLITE Art Fair (December 6th–9th), and Aqua Art Miami (December 6th–10th).
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.