Frieze Scoops Up The Armory Show and Expo Chicago

Adding to their existing U.S. fairs, Frieze New York and Frieze Los Angeles, the London-based company is the dominant player in the U.S. market.

Frieze has acquired The Armory Show and signed an agreement to acquire EXPO CHICAGO, two of America's most established art fairs.

'Both fairs will continue to operate under their existing brands and with their current teams,' Frieze said.

Writing for The New York Times, Robin Pogrebin noted that the art world often bemoans the proliferation of art fairs. Simon Fox, the chief executive of Frieze argued that 'through this deal we're respecting the existing art fair calendar'.

While Frieze hasn't added more fairs to the calendar with the acquisitions, they have narrowed galleries' choices with whom they can exhibit. With the exception of Art Basel Miami Beach, Frieze now operates the four most prominent art fairs in the United States, including Frieze New York and Frieze Los Angeles.

Frieze began as a magazine in 1991 and held its first fair in London in 2003. Altogether, it now organises seven fairs, including Frieze Masters and Frieze Seoul. Since 2016, it has been majority owned by Hollywood entertainment company Endeavor.

Three companies are now responsible for most of the world's leading art fairs.

Art Basel runs fairs in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Miami, and Paris, while Art Assembly runs six art fairs across the Asia Pacific region, including the newly acquired Aotearoa Art Fair and Tokyo Gendai, which launched in Yokohama this month.

Art Assembly and affiliated company Angus Montgomery Arts also have stakes in three photography fairs, including PHOTOFAIRS New York, which launches alongside The Armory Show in September. —[O]