Enzo fair is fun and fee-free

"After hearing gallerists' complaints about the rising cost of fair participation, he says he began planning Enzo last summer with the goal of creating a low-cost, collegial environment. "There's no build-out, there's no division, there are no walls," he says. "It feels almost like one presentation amongst nine galleries I really love.""

""We're all pooling our energy to bring our clients to the fair," Gitlen says. "It's good to be within this very democratic space without the huge financial pressure of participating in an art fair," says Piotr Drewko, founder of the Warsaw- and New York-based Wschód."

"Even as galleries and artists adapt to a more challenging market, he finds that most fairs have only gone up in cost without changing their offerings."

Enzo, an alternative art fair, opened in Echo Park, Los Angeles, hosting nine galleries primarily from New York's Chinatown and Lower East Side. Founded by collector R Parmar at Alabaster Projects, the fair eliminates traditional fair costs by charging no entry or participation fees. The open-space design features no build-out, divisions, or walls, creating a collegial environment where galleries collaborate to attract clients. Participating gallerists praise the democratic atmosphere and relief from financial pressure typical of conventional art fairs. The initiative responds to gallerists' complaints about rising fair participation costs amid a contracting art market, offering an alternative model that maintains quality while reducing financial burden on smaller galleries.

Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events