Basel, Frieze, Aqua! No, these are not covert spy names for an elite crime-fighting trio. They are big art fairs: frenzied, unsightly, and teeming with blue-chip bling. In hotel fairs like “AQUA” or the “Affair” in Portland, wall space is at a premium. Envision a Damien Hirst inches away from an Elizabeth Murray. Now imagine it hung precariously on top of a toilet.
Borrowing from this new “cash and carry” tradition, Art Palace presents FAIR from Nov. 18th to Dec. 23rd. Come and see Art Palace as a messy hotel room turned temporary gallery. Plane tickets cost hundreds of dollars, Miami hipsters wear too much spandex, and all the good parties are reserved for Jeffrey Deitch’s entourage of snotty 12 year-olds. So stay in Austin. And don’t miss the Live Holiday Auction for a true round of cutthroat art buying. There will be eggnog, celebrity auctioneers and a special Sotheby’s themed nativity scene. The auction takes place Dec. 16th from 8-11.
*Special E.A.S.T. hours: 10-5 on Nov. 18th and 19th
FAIR artists include Peat Duggins, Ali Fitzgerald, Jonathan Marshall, Stephanie Wagner, Eric Zimmerman, Rebecca Ward, Deborah Roberts, Sterling Allen, Nathan Green, Randy Muniz, Matt Rebholz, Michael Berryhill, Senalka McDonald, Sam de la Rosa, Eric Gibbons, Eduardo Navarro, Laura Turner, Heyd Fontenot and Louie Cordero.