It was enlightening to read a review of the latest version of the “venerable art fair La Biennale Paris.” In all fairness, I’ve never been to it, but I can only imagine the setting and the aura of walking down the aisles of such an austere event. An article about the fair was written by Ted Loos in the New York Times which also referenced antiques dealers as “now been discarded, least it sound musty and fusty”. Yes, I can agree, but the show must go on and filling booths and attracting fair goers is still the end game.

It’s been a fascinating last decade and a half for antiques dealers, but not so much for the art fair format. The Biennale use to be known as the Biennale des Antiquaires. The antiques dealer of the “musty and fusty” type is long gone, as the effects of style and taste changes, and competition created by the internet have altered the relationship between buyers and sellers in the industry. Art and antiques shows have experienced almost imperceptible variations in form and function. Jewelry and art now dominate the standard booths that use to exhibit 18th and 19th Century decorative arts; contemporary designs draw more interest than the traditional period forms. The events at the marque locations such as the Park Avenue New York Armory, Grosvenor House, Biennale, or Maastricht enjoy the same consistency and purpose as a Triple Pier Show or Brimfield. The show format is all about dealers in large numbers showing a limited amount of their individual inventories at a specifically timed event.

Constant pressures on art and antiques shows are related to the financial overhead and the cost of mounting a fair against the pool of dealers who look to the format to survive. The ultimate success of shows is driven by attendance and sales. If dealers sell and there is growth in gate turnout then the industry can use the results a barometer of the present market. But with the many competitive shows vying for a limited number of dealers, how can you really tell where the market is going?

Shows of the upper strata tend to push the social scene as much as the business at hand, so add the “glitz” factor into the hype. That’s not the formula for attracting a younger, affluent market of consumers, but it’s a tried and true format that is etched in the calendar of social events. Other more mundane shows attract the casual collector who is entertained by the diversity of works to be seen and opportunities to buy.

So now the fall season is upon us and the fair schedule is in place. The likelihood of who exhibits and who attends to look, buy, or be seen hasn’t really changed. You can’t shop the show on the internet like you can an auction catalogue or a dealer web site. If you don’t go the show it’s like missing a baseball game, the experience has moved on to the next game/fair. In baseball, the players on the teams change over the years and rules get modified, but the format is still the same. For fair attendees, dealer participants change as rookies replace veterans. These are incremental changes but the structure and purpose is consistent. Unless there is some new wrinkle in the format, the fair’s predictable process and presentation will always limit its appeal.