The Other Art Fair, London UK
Has anybody exhibited here and why are there fees so high?
Thank you
22 comments
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Anonymous
An other dissapointed artists from their 2023 Los Angeles event. Please make sure to do your research before commiting with them as it is extremely expensive to do so.
They are even charging for a stool that I really needed as I was recovering from a motorcycle accident.
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Anonymous
A concept that is not o ly getting old but I’d currently so expensive for an artist to participate that there is alsmot no chance you can make your money back.
Times are changing and art fairs like this are no longer needed.
I would never participate again as I got 0 return on my very expensive investment.
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Anonymous
Good to see that the misogynistic so called ‘founder’ of The Other Art Fair, Ryan Stanier gets what he deserves. It is not coincidence that the staff is almost exclusively females and many of them have been chatting if you know what i mean…
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Anonymous
So happy to see that people are FINALLY speaking about The Other Art Fair.
Many seem to have missed how the owner is friends and used to promote Ben Moore, the crypro NFT who stole so much money…
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Anonymous
You can see his name on multiple of their posts and webpages:
https://www.theotherartfair.com/london/me-my-brain-and-i/massive crook and a literal thief!
Shame on you The Other Art Fair!
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Anonymous
I exhibited at The Other Art Fair in Brooklyn, expecting a professionally run event that would provide strong exposure and support for artists. Unfortunately, my experience fell short in several key areas.
First, communication with the organizers was frustratingly slow. Emails often went unanswered for extended periods, making it difficult to get essential information in a timely manner. When you’re investing a significant amount into a fair like this, you expect clear and responsive communication, but that was definitely lacking.
Another major letdown was the absence of professional event photography. For a fair that markets itself as a platform for artists to gain visibility, I was shocked that they didn’t provide high-quality images of the booths or the event itself. Without proper documentation, it felt like a missed opportunity for all the participating artists.
Attendance was also underwhelming. While there was a decent crowd at times, it didn’t feel like the collectors and industry professionals they advertised. Instead, a lot of foot traffic seemed casual, with little engagement from serious buyers.
Additionally, I faced logistical issues when dealing with customs and shipping, which can be a nightmare for international artists. Unfortunately, the organizers showed little empathy or support, offering no guidance or assistance when I reached out for help.
Overall, while The Other Art Fair has a strong reputation, my personal experience didn’t live up to the expectations. Artists should be aware that, beyond the name, the level of support and professionalism may not justify the investment.
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Anonymous
I have only bad things to say about their Brooklyn show.
The venue was packed with walls without leaving a lot of space for the crowd. There was literally no foot traffic outside of the venue.
They are clearly attempting to save money as before they were based in a venue by the water (cant remember the name of it), still in Brooklyn but so alive.
The venue was cold, the dj at the very least questionable and overall very different from what they were promoting online at the time of my application.
I would not recommend and I will be looking to take my business elsewhere.
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Anonymous
Interesting to see others from other parts in the world same kind of the same experience with me, an artist who participated in their shows in Australia.
It’s most definitely concerning to discover the same pattern all over but good to see people are finally speaking up!
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Anonymous
The Dalllas show last year was like that too. Not that many sales, footfall not aamzing.
For the price, I would not go back.
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Anonymous
My experience in London with them weas extremely disappointing.
They were trying to upsell me everything with huge mark ups. I had to pay hundreds in order to have a chair to sit on during the event.
Having talked to fellow participating artists, they seemed to struggle to land any sales.
Footfall was not amazing either, considerably different vibes from when I visited 7 years ago as a guest.
This brand is dying and I would steer clear.
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Anonymous
As one of the participants of their latest show in London in March 2024, I also need to express my deep disappointment and frustration with the management of this fair.
No sales and overall bad vibes and a salesy approach to things trying to upsell expensive additional services on top of a participation fee that is already extremely expensive.
Upon researching further, I also discovered that they are not supposed to use the Saatchi name and they have been to court with the legit Saatchi for that reason. They have clearly been using it to polish the look of their brand and entice artists.
I would not recommend.
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Anonymous
I’m happy I have discovered this thread as I’m not the only participating artist in London, feeling this way.
It’s particularly scary making this comment as they ask you not to make any public comments about them.
I feel very uncomfortable and don’t work to work with a company that does that.
It was particularly odd to see that a participating artists was also giving us advice on a call orgnaised by The Other Art Fair, when knowing that the same artist runs Roys Art Fair.
They clearly work together and have discussed working on their own terratories so that Roy’s does not step into The Other Art Fair’s toes.
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Anonymous
The company is in huge debt – millions. If a fair takes commission and charges booth fees, feels wrong. I had to laugh when someone above (do they work for TOAF!) said a fair not charging commission has no incentive…because TOAF already got the lion’s share from the booth fees!! Commission is a bonus on top for them!
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Anonymous
High compared to what? I haven’t shown in the UK so I cannot compare to your other local fairs but I’ve done I’ve exhibited at The Other Art Fair (TOAF) in Brooklyn (2X) and Los Angeles (3X) – best art shows I’ve ever done. They really market their fairs well and drive tons of traffic. In terms of eyeballs for every dollar I spent, TOAF is the best art fair I’ve done – best sales too (but results will vary by artist, of course). And I’m only talking about ARTIST fairs (not galleries). So I’m comparing them to Superfine, Spectrum, Affordable Art Fair, etc. TOAF model makes sense – keep the booth affordable but also charge commission on sales (15%) so they still have skin in the game. You should always be skeptical of art fairs that do not take commission. If they already have your money for the booth, what incentive do they have to advertise the show and help you sell your art? It’s common sense. But you might ask: Won’t artists be upset and never return? They’ll find plenty of new unsuspecting artists to sucker. So, if there’s an upcoming TOAF near you, just attend it and ask the artists yourselves, observe the crowds, and decide for yourself. It’ll be obvious.
Or, just DM any of their artists on IG and they’ll tell you themselves. Look at the engagement of TOAF’s posts, look at the crowd shots from regular attendees (#theotherartfair) versus crowd shots of other art fairs. Good luck!
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Anonymous
Hello
I have personally now been part of 2 fairs with The Other Art Fair in Dallas. And it’s probably my favorite Fair company to work with. They are so professional and organized and offer a lot of help. And there is always a great turnout of people attending. And you actually sell stuff. The fees are there because you are paying for your booth and the marketing and everything that comes with it. And they promote it really well. On their Instagrams and on Saatchi. So it is worth it if you can afford and if you get accepted to participate.
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Anonymous
The Other Art Fair employees seem to be very passionate covering up the failure the fair has become in recent years..
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Anonymous
I went to their fair in Los Angeles. It looked very professional and all the artists I spoke with were very satisfied with the experience of showing at the fair. Most of them had travelled from abroad.
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Anonymous
It’s actually not.
Saatchi Art was bought by Leaf Group, the same group of companies that now owns The Other Art Fair.
Part of the deal when buying Saatchi art was NOT to use the name Saatci and they have been to court for this.
They are clearly taking advantage of people making them think that Saatchi is part of The Other Art fair when they are not.
What a horrible way to conduct business!
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Anonymous
Would not be fair to talk about their other locations but Los Angeles has been an absolute joke considering how expensive it was to be there,
Didnt make my money back as I sold $0.