THE WORLDS LEADING ART FAIR

From March 13 tilll 22 the World's Leading Art and Antiques Fair, TEFAF Maastricht, will be organised. On 28.000 m2, which is roughly the size of four football fields, TEFAF will present an outstanding event, one that offers the best choice of the very best in fine art and antiques. The eye-catching TEFAF masterpiece of this year is 'The park of the Saint-Paul hospital' from Vincent Van Gogh. Since 1963 the painting is part of a Swiss private collection, but now it is for sale for about 25 million euros.

At the World's Leading Art and Antiques Fair 239 of the world’s most prestigious international dealers display a selection of genuine masterpieces with atotal value of around $1 billion. No where else will you find such rigorous investigation of their quality, condition and authenticity. Every item is checked by one of 25 vetting committees made up of over 155 internationally respected experts.

24 vetting committees, consisting of circa 150 international experts, specialised in the fields that are present at TEFAF, examine each object for its quality, authenticity and condition. Works of art that don't meet the high standards of TEFAF are removed from the stands and locked away until after the fair. Besides, the Art Loss Register, the world's largest database of stolen art, checks the objects against their lists of reported art theft. Thus enabling collectors to acquire works of art at the Fair with the highest level of confidence.

The TEFAF also presents a report with the title 'Globalisation and the art market'. It is the latest in a series of important annual studies commissioned by TEFAF. The report takes a detailed look at the growing importance of China, Russia, India and the Middle East in the art market in recent years. It also examines the past and possible future effects of the current world economic climate on international art buying.

The art market has become a global marketplace with new collectors in emerging economies who may contribute towards protecting it from the current international economic situation. This fundamental shift in the geography of art buying is revealed in a new report commissioned by The European Fine Art Foundation.

The report, Globalisation and the Art Market, Emerging Economies and the Art Trade in 2008, has been prepared by Dr Clare McAndrew, a cultural economist specialising in the fine and decorative art market. It is the latest in a series of important annual studies commissioned by TEFAF.

Twentieth century design and applied arts are increasingly popular and for the first time TEFAF Maastricht will have a section entirely dedicated to these stylish modern pieces. TEFAF Maastricht constantly evolves to reinforce its position as the world’s most influential art and antiques fair and TEFAF Design, as the new section is called, is being introduced to strengthen its appeal in a field which attracts a growing number of collectors, museum curators as well as professional decorators.

Eight of the world’s leading specialist dealers will form TEFAF Design, including a number who have never exhibited at TEFAF previously. Among the latter will be Sebastian + Barquet from New York and London, Galerie Eric Philippe from Paris, Galerie Ulrich Fiedler of Berlin, L’Arc en Seine from Paris and Bel Etage Wolfgang Bauer of Vienna.

TEFAF Design will also have a loan exhibition from the collection of the Museum Jachthuis St Hubertus in the Netherlands. This early 20th century country house was designed by the famous Dutch architect H. P. Berlage. It was the home of Anton Kröller and his wife Helene Kröller-Müller, who founded the renowned Kröller-Müller Museum in 1938. The TEFAF Exhibition will include a Berlage dining table and chairs. These objects have never been exhibited outside the country house before. read more (tefaf.com)

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March 5, 2009