Some free thoughts on the last edition of the Biannual International Art FaIR (BIAF) in Florence, Italy.
Spoiler: it was fantastic
LOCATION
Palazzo Corsini: magnificent! A place in the heart of the city. Accessible to anyone who wants to spend time experiencing something unique. The exhibition harmoniously interacted with the history of the venue. Admiring Florence from the exclusive perspective of its terrace: unforgettable!
ENTRANCE FEE
Events of this kind usually come with a very high entrance fee. What makes BIAF special is that it offers really to everyone the opportunity to visit it. Yes, it’s a business event, but it’s open to locals and tourists, as well as collectors and experts: excellent!
CULTURE
The fair is accompanied by a wide program of events and conferences. But even the meetings in the corridors and on the terrace are nothing less than a lively exchange of culture, of cultures. In the booths, there is often a dialogue between ancient and contemporary. Mind the gap: there is growing interest in the transition period between the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century.
BOOTHS
We visited them all! Each with a strong personality.
When it comes to artworks, our professional perspective comes into play. We carefully read the labels. We were impressed by those who accompanied their captions with a QR code leading to a digital sheet with high-resolution photos. We appreciated when it was indicated that a Condition Report was available.
We paused where both the artwork and its reference drawing were successfully presented
(Galleria Gallo Fine Art, Saint Helena Discovers the True Cross, Red chalk with white chalk and oil on canvas).
We were struck by two very similar paintings, attributed to the same artist but displayed in two different booths
(Michele Desubleo, Jacob’s Dream, Oil on canvas, 154 x 210.5 cm, Cantore Galleria Antiquaria
and
Michele Desubleo, Jacob’s Dream, Oil on canvas, 128 x 158 cm, Fondoantico).
Among the booths, two bookstores specializing in art books and, in addition, a corner dedicated to the Zeri Foundation.
And finally, the pride of seeing so many works analysed by us…
