Core77

The title alone--"Art Fair as Outlet Mall"--should be enough to pique the interest of most creative professionals, but for readers who haven't taken a look at Ken Johnson's excellent overview of Basel Miami Beach, here's a choice quote:

The sense of art as merchandise is overpowering. A majority of what you see is portable and palatable. Most galleries offer variety-store-like mixes of works by different artists with the ambience of a sample sale.

Still, events like this do occasion collective soul-searching, especially now, as the art world grapples with recession. What is art for, after all, assuming that it is not just something for sale?

As the line between art and design continues to dissolve, perhaps similar soul-searching is in store for designers as well?

>>Read the whole article here.<<