Inside TEFAF New York's Annual Wealth Pageant

"How do the wealthy choose their art these days? Do they adorn their walls with the masterworks of long-dead modernists and Pop Art icons that will only increase in value as the years unfurl? Or do they fill their townhouses with glossy hardwood tables, chic lighting fixtures, and dense statement sculptures that wow guests and can be used as a blunt instrument in an emergency? The answer is, perhaps, all of the above."

"Any concerns about inflation, hantavirus, or general political malaise were gently left at the armory's doorstep at Thursday night's VIP preview, where someone's Mercedes-Maybach sedan was parked out front with its trunk open awaiting its new haul. Inside, prospective clients trailed by their art advisors nibbled seafood hors d'oeuvres and sipped glasses of rosé while inspecting the presentations of 88 galleries from 14 different countries."

"TEFAF has long held a reputation for attracting the upper tier of New York high society and jet-setting plutocrats seeking to acquire treasures for their newly taxable pied-à-terres. At this year's fair, visitors could even buy their own pied-à-terres, designed by the late French architect Jean Prouvé, which are produced in Eastern France and can be shipped anywhere in the world."

""All of them are demountable, that is, they're pulled apart, put in the ground, and rebuilt. There's no foundation, they rest on the floor," Laurence Seguin, of Paris-based Galerie Patrick Seguin, told Hyperallergic. "We've sold a few of the""

The TEFAF fair at the historic Park Avenue Armory attracted wealthy patrons seeking art and luxury purchases. A VIP preview featured high-end vehicles, seafood hors d’oeuvres, and clients accompanied by art advisors while viewing presentations from 88 galleries across 14 countries. The fair’s reputation centers on drawing New York high society and international plutocrats looking to acquire valuable works for residences and pied-à-terres. Visitors could also purchase pied-à-terres designed by Jean Prouvé, manufactured in Eastern France and shipped worldwide. The structures are demountable, assembled without foundations, and can be disassembled, placed in the ground, and rebuilt at the destination.

Read at Hyperallergic