The BADA Antiques & Fine Art fair 2016
I have just returned from London where I have been working at the British antique dealers Association fair, known as the be BADA fair this is held annually at the Duke of York Square, Kings Road , Chelsea, London, which is where the Saatchi Gallery is also now quartered. The BADA fair is quite one of the nicest of all the antique fairs, not as grand as “Masterpiece” or as vast as “Olympia”, the quality is high and assuming you’re reasonably well off, affordable.
I was there to help an old friend of mine called Jeremy Taylor who unfortunately is not very well. It was great fun seeing so many old friends who I have not seen for four years, since I came to Spain. I was very happy with Jeremy’s paintings as the four artists he is most keen on are Edward Seago, Sir Alfred Munnings, Montague Dawson and Sir William Russell Flint, all artists that I was extremely familiar with, so I did not have to do any mugging up.
It was in fact a fair, the like of which I have never known. Not one of the major picture dealers sold a single important painting, even the furniture dealers only sold their lesser pieces. Whether it was the uncertainty caused by the impending referendum or the refugee situation no one knew, the only certainty was that the clients had firmly buttoned up their wallets. For instance at the same fair last year Jeremy sold just under £1 million worth of paintings and this year a big fat zero.
Our stand was on the main aisle just opposite the champagne bar and even they were not doing the same amount of business as usual, but that could possibly have been due to the fact that they were charging £56 for a bottle of Tattinger or £12 for one flute.
The next major London fairs are “Olympia” and “Masterpiece” in June. I will endeavor to report back when they are over. Hopefully the financial climate will have improved by that time, as these Fairs are very expensive £30-£40,000 for each stand and dealers cannot go on shelling out this sort of money indefinitely unless there is a decent return and the demise of these fairs would be a great shame for the London art market.
If you would like to see more Art and Antiques that exhibited at The Bada Antiques & Fine Art Fair 2016, you can view them at The Taylor Gallery’s Website by clicking here !
