What Should You Ask at an Art Fair

A practical checklist for looking, talking and buying art with confidence by Rees Davies Art Advisory

There is no question too simple to ask

An art fair should feel exciting, but the number of galleries, unfamiliar artists and confident-looking collectors can make it difficult to know where to begin. You do not need specialist knowledge to take part. You are there to look, discover, respond and ask questions.

Use this checklist on your phone, save the sections as screenshots or print the complete page before you visit. You do not need to ask every question. Start with the work that makes you stop, then use the prompts that help you understand what you are looking at and whether you genuinely want to live with it. Good luck with your art-buying adventure - Juliet Rees Davies

Before you arrive

A little preparation makes it easier to remain open to unexpected discoveries while keeping the practical details in view.

☐  Why am I going: to buy, research artists, find work for a particular room, understand my taste or simply explore?

☐  If I am looking for a particular space, have I photographed the whole room rather than only the empty wall?

☐  Have I recorded the approximate wall, floor or installation dimensions?

☐  Have I considered the architecture, furniture, natural light and sight lines around the proposed location?

☐  What is my total budget, including framing, transport, insurance, customs and installation?

☐  Am I willing to be surprised by a different artist, medium, scale or type of work?

Begin by looking

Take an initial walk before trying to make decisions. Notice the works that stay with you, then return and look again.

☐  Which artworks make me stop?

☐  Which works do I continue to think about after walking away?

☐  What am I responding to: colour, composition, material, atmosphere, memory or emotion?

☐  Have I looked closely, stepped back and viewed the work from different angles?

☐  Do I want to continue looking at it?

☐  If photography is permitted, have I recorded the artwork, artist, gallery and stand number together?

Ask about the artist and the gallery

A simple opening question is: Could you tell me about this artist? A good gallery should be able to meet you wherever you are.

☐  Who is the artist?

☐  Why did the gallery choose to represent them?

☐  How long have the artist and gallery worked together?

☐  What ideas, subjects or questions is the artist exploring?

☐  Is this work part of a larger series?

☐  How has the artist’s practice developed over time?

☐  Does the gallery understand the artist’s process and speak about the work with knowledge and commitment?

☐  Is the emphasis on the artist and the work, rather than mainly on fashion, status or promises of investment?

Ask about the artwork

These questions help you understand what you are buying, how it should be cared for and whether the price is appropriate.

☐  How was the work made?

☐  What materials and processes has the artist used?

☐  What are the exact dimensions?

☐  Is the work unique or part of an edition?

☐  Is it signed and dated?

☐  Does it come with a certificate of authenticity or other documentation?

☐  Are there any particular conservation or care requirements?

☐  What is the condition of the work?

☐  How does this particular work relate to the artist’s wider practice?

Questions for particular types of art

☐  For a photograph or print: What is the printing process, paper type and edition size? Are there artist’s proofs?

☐  For a painting: Is it oil, acrylic, pigment or mixed media? Is the support canvas, linen, wood or another material?

☐  For a sculpture: What is the material and fabrication process? What does it weigh, and how should it be installed?

Ask about provenance and context

Every gallery stand presents a carefully constructed story. Listen to that story, but remain curious about how it has been formed and whose perspective it represents.

☐  Where did the work come from?

☐  How has its provenance or ownership history been established?

☐  What is its cultural, historical or artistic context?

☐  Has the gallery provided enough information to support the claims being made about it?

☐  For Indigenous, ceremonial or historically significant objects: Whose perspective might be missing?

☐  Are the work’s origins, history and cultural meaning being represented accurately and respectfully?

Imagine the work at home

The white cube gives an artwork your complete attention. Your home is where your relationship with it develops.

☐  Do you have photographs of the work in a domestic interior?

☐  Could the gallery or advisor create a visualisation using a photograph of my room?

☐  How will the work respond to daylight and changing light?

☐  Does it require specialist lighting or protection from direct sunlight?

☐  Does it need a particular frame, plinth, fixing system or installation method?

☐  At what height or position would you recommend installing it?

☐  How will its scale, material and colour interact with the architecture and the other objects in the room?

☐  Can I imagine living with it, rather than only admiring it on the fair stand?

Ask the complete price

Asking the price does not diminish the artwork. It gives you the information you need to make a responsible decision.

☐  What is the price of this work?

☐  Does the price include VAT?

☐  Is the frame, plinth or display equipment included?

☐  Can the gallery arrange delivery?

☐  Are transport, insurance, customs, import charges or installation additional?

☐  If this work is beyond my budget, are other works by the artist available at a different price point?

☐  Are there smaller works, works on paper, photographs, prints or works from another series that are not displayed?

If you want to discuss the price

First decide whether you genuinely want the work. If price is the only obstacle, negotiate respectfully and remember that the price supports both the artist’s practice and the gallery’s programme.

☐  Is there any flexibility in the price?

☐  If I purchased more than one work, could the gallery offer a collector’s price?

☐  If the price cannot change, could framing or delivery be included?

☐  Are staged or instalment payments possible?

☐  Is my proposal realistic and respectful to the artist, gallery and collector relationship?

Take time before deciding

An original work can only be sold once, so urgency may be genuine. You can still ask for enough time to make a considered decision.

☐  Can the gallery reserve the work while I think?

☐  Can we agree a clear reservation time?

☐  Have I stepped away from the stand and looked at my photographs again?

☐  Have I checked the measurements and spoken to anyone whose decision is relevant?

☐  Would I still want this work if I had discovered it somewhere quieter?

☐  Am I responding to the artwork itself or to the atmosphere and urgency of the fair?

☐  Do I love this particular work, or do I simply like the artist?

☐  Can I imagine living with it for many years?

☐  Would waiting—or deciding not to buy—be the better choice?

The essential twelve

If you save only one section, make it this one.

☐  Who is the artist?

☐  Why does the gallery represent them?

☐  What is the artist exploring?

☐  How was the work made?

☐  Is it unique or part of an edition?

☐  Is it signed and accompanied by documentation?

☐  What are the exact dimensions?

☐  How should it be framed, lit and installed?

☐  What is the complete price?

☐  Can the gallery arrange delivery?

☐  Can the work be reserved while I think?

☐  Do I want to live with it?

The final question is the most important of all. An advisor can provide knowledge, context and confidence, but the aim is not to tell you what to like. It is to help you understand what you are responding to and make your own informed decision.