TEFAF Maastricht 2024
As the 37th edition of TEFAF Maastricht opened its doors on March 7th, the singular role occupied by TEFAF within the current ecosystem of major art fairs – and the art market as a whole – which tends to favour contemporary art, was more than evident. Pre-20-century work occupies something of an odd position within the market today, in which top supply is finite but prices are rarely of the show-stopping variety as the market for Old Masters and antiques is aging with its prospective buyers.
Change - at a glacial pace
TEFAF, possibly the world’s most opulent art fair, over the last decade, has been striving to modernize not only its image but also its roster of galleries. When applications in the past have often seemed like a closed circuit leaving little room for newcomers, the reformed process for the Maastricht fair has evidently managed to bring in fresh blood with new exhibitors replacing some longtime participants, ultimately continuing the slow but steady turnover in the showcase of some 275 galleries and dealers. With a rejuvenated profile, post-war and contemporary showcases have once again in this year’s iteration taken up more space, catering to a different cohort of collectors. Among those debuting in the Focus section was Tommaso Calabro presenting works by Leonor Fini, Stanislao Lepri, and Fabrizio Clerici.
The most redlisted category of art appears to be tribal antiques, already notably absent from Brafa in Brussels in February earlier this year and less prominent in Maastricht, with regulations surrounding provenance tightening significantly. In lieu, we find contemporary African figurative (and other) painting, omnipresent at other fairs but previously a rare occurrence at TEFAF, with London-based gallery TAFETA delivering a thoughtful and carefully curated newer addition.
In line with this year’s unofficial and more intriguing themes of making room for the new amidst crushing art historical significance, some of the most noteworthy presentations spanned an impressive distance across centuries and movements, something repeat offender Axel Vervoodt has perfected as a TEFAF regular. Robilant + Voena showcased 17th century artists Giuseppe Vermiglio and Matthias Stomer, sitting comfortably alongside a portrait by Anthony van Dyck, and paintings by Joan Miro and Sam Francis. Kamel Mennour presented works by 17 artists from Pablo Picasso to Camille Henrot. Sean Kelly Gallery placed contemporary artworks by the likes of Kehinde Wiley in dialogue with pieces from ancient Egypt and early 20th-century painting. Emanuel von Baeyer curated his Dürer-themed booth without actual works by Dürer. Düsseldorf gallery Beck & Eggeling, alongside Arman, Leiko Ikemura, and Norbert Tadeusz, spotlighted “Jakobs Traum” by Anselm Kiefer, which had been entrusted to the gallery again for resale by the previous buyer. A lot was happening, all at once.
And yet, the most unexpected and impressive display, without dramatic leaps in time, could be found at Yares Art, seamlessly blending a circumambulation of large-scale canvasses by Milton Avery, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert Motherwell, and Morris Louis without any heavy-haded emphasis on the parallels but also stark differences in their artistic practice and use of colour, striking a delicate balance between visual cohesion and stylistic juxtaposition.