Fair Play Art Fair 2026: The artist first fair
I quite like it. That's the first thing to say about Fair Play.
After Frieze London and Masters, Fair Play felt like a different animal entirely. Fresh, dynamic, easy to digest. The space at One Marylebone was small, and yes, it got busy and crowded at times, but you could still move through it without feeling like you were part of a parade. It felt like going to hang out. That's not a small thing.
The model is simple: no galleries, just artists standing with their own work, talking to whoever walks up. Founded by Ryan Stanier, the person behind The Other Art Fair, it's an attempt to cut out the middleman and let artists make their work visible by themselves. And it works. Not perfectly, not for everyone, but it works.
I didn't make it to the PV and curators night so my experience was the regular opening, the crowds, the casual browse. And honestly? That felt right.
The best part, though, was the people. I met artists in person after following each other's work for a while. Saw peers. Had proper catch-ups. Here, the pace allowed for conversation. The scale allowed for it. The whole thing felt human.
And here's the thought I keep returning to: perhaps, during these times, gallery representation is no longer needed. Not for everyone, not forever, but for some artists, in some moments, the old model isn't the only way. Fair Play makes that argument just by existing. Artists standing with their own work, speaking for themselves, selling directly. It's not a revolution. It's a small shift. But it's a shift.
I went in expecting to be tired, it was Frieze Week after all, but I left feeling lighter. That's the review, really. Fair Play felt like a break from the fair. And I'll take that.
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