Kobel's Art Weekly Archive

Brafa Brussels 2026; photo Stefan Kobel

Kobel's Art Weekly 5 2026

Andreas Platthaus finds a gauntlet thrown down to TEFAF at Brafa in Brussels for the FAZ on 24 January: "The expansion has a clear goal: to outdo Maastricht's competition (not only in the Benelux, but on a global scale). TEFAF will be held there in March, and the two universal art fairs are competing for the reputation of offering the most exclusive selection. TEFAF is ... read more

Good bye Viennacontemporary; image Stefan Kobel

Kobel's Art Weekly 4 2026

The art market in Austria has suffered two heavy blows. The leading art fair Viennacontemporary will no longer take place, as I report in Artmagazine. Michael Huber reports in detail for the Kurier (paywall): "In an interview with the KURIER, the managing director of the organising company, Markus Huber (no relation to the author), has ... read more

Photo Stefan Kobel

Kobel's Art Weekly 3 2026

2026 is shaping up to be no different from the last six years. And Melanie Gerlis in The Art Newspaper is not giving the all-clear for the art market either: "Within the art market, the shift in taste towards lower-priced art (plus a few trophies) seems here to stay as collectors nurse the reality that their “investments” in art have ... read more

Real-life satire, here: Vatican; photo Stefan Kobel

Kobel's Art Weekly 2 2026

As expected by some and hoped for by many, the auction market picked up noticeably in the second half of the year, both internationally and in German-speaking countries. The major auction houses are trying to save themselves from the slump in the art market with handbags, trainers and jewellery, according to an analysis by George Nelson in mid-August for Artnews: ... read more

Then and now; photo Stefan Kobel

Kobel's Art Weekly 1 2026

Normal fair business was overshadowed in the second half of the year by the dominant corporations, which made headlines primarily with their expansion into the Arab world. The current art fair model does not seem sustainable to many market participants, according to a survey of gallery owners summarised by Karen K. Ho in mid-Augustfor Artnews: "First Thursday, a London-based sales ... read more

Buone Feste! photo Stefan Kobel

Kobel's Art Weekly 52 2025

Closures, insolvencies and downsizing of galleries and art dealers also characterised the second half of the year. The market appears to be in a phase of consolidation with structural imbalances. Keith Estiler talks in mid-August about the ‘creeping death of the contemporary art gallery’ at Hypebeast: "A significant force behind this change is the shifting demand for different types of ... read more