Mexico City’s Contemporary Art Fair Lost Gloss

The ninth international contemporary art fair Zona Maco México Arte Contemporáneo was opened at the Banamex Exhibition Center in Mexico City.

Unlike a similar event in 2011, which gathered prestigious galleries such as Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, Alexander and Bonin, Arndt, Barbara Thumm and Joan Prats, the 2012 version is dedicated to only two galleries: Lisson and Continua. A significant decrease in the number of fair participants occurred both due to some subsidence of the market, and due to the lack of a stable identity, which allows galleries to function, develop and compete.

The price range of the presented works is as always wide - from two thousand dollars to two hundred million or so, and the art line may also be of interest to a wide variety of art fans - experts note an incredible spread in quality and originality.

The international fair Zona Maco 2012 is primarily unexpected, sometimes even shocking offers - Julian Opie, Sarah Lucas, Pistoletto, conceptualists of the seventies, Carlos Ginzburg and Anthony Caro. Experts note three small paintings by Tim Eitel and the work of Neo Rauch. Among the most attractive offers are sculptures by Anish Kapoor and the pseudo-conceptual Javier Arce.

The first specialists who visited the fair in Mexico noted that with a decrease in the number of participants, along with the prestige of the event, order and gloss at one of the most significant events in Latin America disappeared. One voice speaks of the poor organization of the fair, which on the opening day simply lacked VIP passes, which led to the fact that the most respectable visitors did not get into the halls.

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