Culture Talk

Art Basel Paris closing two days early: a quick look at the money

Accountant hat on. The Malay Mail (AFP) report said the fair drew 73,000 visitors last year at €47 a ticket. If even half of those come on the weekend, that's a lot of ticket revenue gone, before you count the dealers' stand costs, which aren't cheap at a fair like this.

On the other hand, The Art Newspaper's angle was that the preview days were strong: a 1965 Gerhard Richter for $10.5m, a Julie Mehretu for $7.8m. The big money is made early anyway. The weekend is mostly the public.

So the people who really lose out are the ordinary visitors, and probably the smaller galleries who rely on weekend sales.