Did the 2008 Art Fairs Play Fair?
In their spare time, some people visit galleries and museums. In mine, I get up and go to the office. I try to think of it as a very time-consuming hobby. Every arts writer knows the problem. Writing does not pay. For most, neither does making art. But does that force artists and critics to play both sides of the street, and can they avoid finding themselves swept up by art institutions? And does it matter? The last weekend in March proved the perfect time to ask. As 2008 settles into spring, the choice between managing an arts fair and writing about art has caused a flap. Could Christian Viveros-Fauné simultaneously serve fairly as an art critic for The Village Voice and curatorial advisor to Volta? A blogger, Tyler Green, saw conflict of interest. Yet anyone who looks for conflict of interest at the art fairs and sees only a columnist misses the real money trail.
