How to Navigate an Art Fair
Stepping into an art fair can feel like entering a maze with hundreds of booths, thousands of works, and no clear path. Even experienced collectors can be overwhelmed by the maze of art. Art Basel, for example, brings together over two hundred galleries. This kind of environment can be disorienting, but with LSS Art Advisory, the experience transforms. Rather than wandering aimlessly, clients move through the fair with purpose. Through our relationships with galleries, we unlock opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible. VIP access can mean entering before the crowds, attending private events, visiting artists’ studios, and even placing works on hold until clients have the chance to see them in person.
Laura Smith Sweeney and Jeffrey Deitch
Our strategy is planned out long before anyone sets foot inside the fair. First, we carefully review the previews from each participating gallery, creating a broad mental map of what will be on view. From there, we distill thousands of works into a focused selection curated for each client. This often means narrowing the entire fair down to around twenty five works. Choices are guided by clients' budget, wall space, style, preferred mediums, and conceptual interests. By the time a client arrives, the art fair has already been narrowed into a calm, clear path.
Lynda Benglis at Pace Booth Fog Fair 2024 | Laura and Meghan at Gladstone Gallery Booth featuring art by George Kondo at TEFAF 2025 | McArthur Binion at Lehmann Maupin Booth Fog Fair 2024
Once inside, navigating the fair is a balance between precision and possibility. We move with intention, visiting priority galleries first to secure key works, while also leaving room for discovery. Some of the most memorable experiences come from chance finds. One client, for example, had previously collected only text based works, abstract paintings, or photography by artists such as Liam Everett, Marie Watt, and Peter Bradley. At Frieze New York they encountered Zanele Muholi’s 5,639 grs., 2024 at Southern Guild’s booth.
Southern Guild’s booth at Frieze 2025
Drawn in by the conceptual layers of the piece, including Muholi’s activist practice and the symbolism of the imagery, the client felt an immediate connection that resonated with their own involvement in providing public access to fertility services. What seemed like a departure from their established tastes became a defining acquisition for their collection.
Zanele Muholi’s 5,639 grs., 2024 in LSS client home
The buying process is as much about reflection as it is about action. Throughout the day, we keep a running list of works that resonate with the client.
After an initial lap around the fair, it is important to take a moment to reflect on what stood out, we advise taking a moment in the collectors lounge. Once a choice is clear, we return to secure the piece before it is gone. A month later, we will check in to see if any of the works are still lingering in the client’s mind. Collecting is as much about the thrill of discovery as it is ensuring each acquisition continues to feel right over time.
Laura in Nino Mier Gallery Booth at Armory 2025
Even the most strategic plan benefits from small luxuries: comfortable shoes, a discreetly packed water bottle, and a snack. Bonus point if you pick an outfit that matches an artwork! With an advisor by your side, the experience becomes less about navigating chaos and more about engaging with the art itself. An art fair rewards those who move with both curiosity and composure, prepared enough to act decisively yet open to what they didn’t expect to find. In the end, it isn’t about how much ground you cover, but the clarity and confidence with which you move through it.
