Fairs and Markets

GERMANY: WITH an attendance of 70,000, there was certainly plenty of interest in the work at the 34th Art Cologne, one of the world’s leading fairs for modern and contemporary work which showcased 276 dealers from 21 countries in Cologne Exhibition Centre between November 5 and 12.

UPPINGHAM treen dealer Wendy Grindley celebrated the first anniversary of her founding of Rutland Antiques Fair on November 19 with the launch of a 50-dealer event at Barnsdale Country Club, overlooking Rutland Water.

NETHERLANDS: EARLY news of the world’s top fair, TEFAF Maastricht, which will be held in the Dutch city from March 10 to 18. Six dealers are joining the fair and the whole event is to have a new look.

CLARION Events, organisers of the Olympia Fine Art and Antiques Fairs, assured the Antiques Trade Gazette last week that exhibitors at the June Olympia need not fear that the summer fair would be vastly enlarged in 2002.

UK: ANDREW Morris, chief executive of Earls Court/Olympia in London and head of the company’s exhibitions organising arm, Clarion Events, has revealed that a thorough review of his art and antiques division will be unveiled in February.

UK: FOLLOWING the liquidation of Bailey Fairs Ltd, its principal Robert Bailey has announced that he can continue organising his full roster of events as Robert Bailey Fairs Ltd.

UK: EARLS Court and Olympia Group chief executive Andrew Morris, one of the Morris family who bought the exhibition complex from P&O, is the new managing director of Clarion Events, the group’s event organising company.

…but Harrogate event will go ahead this month UK: LAST week Bailey Fairs Ltd went into voluntary liquidation but its principal, Robert Bailey, intends to continue organising in a limited capacity.

FRANCE: WHEN one talks about the world’s very top antiques fairs just a handful come to mind, and they are, for the moment any way, in London, New York, Maastricht and Paris.

One of a pair of giltwood fauteuils by Jacob-Desmalter for which Ferneyhough, a London dealer, will ask £120,000 at the Chelsea Fair London, September 15-24.

LONDON: Bermondsey’s The Old Cinema antiques warehouse is to move out of the area after the building it occupies has been sold for redevelopment.

OLYMPIA have made dateline changes at their flagship antiques event in London, the June Fine Art and Antiques Fair, and they will apply to both the gallery and the ground floor.

US: NEW York financier Saul Steinberg is to sell his collection of 61 Old Master paintings through the New York art dealer Richard Feigen. With obvious carrots dangled by the leading auction houses for such an important collection, conservatively valued at some $52m, this is a major fillip for the fine art trade.

UK: At the International Classic Motorcycle Show in Stafford on April 16, two determined collectors fought this rare 1954 AJS E90 ‘Porcupine’ to £142,000 (plus 15/10% buyer’s premium).

US: FLORIDA-based organiser David Lester is negotiating for a new fair in New York City, possibly to be launched as early as October this year.

UK: THE eighth LAPADA Fair opened in its new hall with a new look at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre last Wednesday, January 19, 2000.

UK: COLLECTABLE 20th century ceramics continue to be the target of some elaborate fakes: among the more recent additions to the 'danger' list are the series of 'Royal Doulton' Union Jack bulldogs and a 'prototype' character jug.

UK: CENTRE Exhibitions, who organise the Antiques For Everyone fairs at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, and the top Irish fairs organiser Louis O’ Sullivan are collaborating on a plan to internationalise both the NEC fairs and the Irish trade.

UK: Future as exhibition venues safe, say owners.

UK: DMG Antiques Fairs has moved into the London market with the acquisition of two well-known North London events, the Wembley and Lee Valley fairs.