Tim Noble & Sue Webster, « Yellow Phantasmagoria ». Courtesy of the artists and Blain|Southern.
March means spring and spring in Maastricht means TEFAF. Despite the fair’s conservative nature and cautious approach to Contemporary Art, this year’s edition boasts no fewer than 46 « modern » galleries exhibiting paintings and sculptures from living or barely-cold artists.
The usual suspects are, of course, all there: Koons, Hirst, Freud, Soulages and consorts are to be found in profusion with their colourful cars, butterfly paintings, meaty self-portraits and brown abstract compositions. Better still, the discerning visitor will also find more unusual works to intrigue and titillate — such as Tim Noble and Sue Webster’s « Phantasmagoria » at Blain|Southern — that are not to be missed.
Mark our words, times are changing! This year, many of the show's staples, classical galleries dealing in old masters, had at least one piece of Contemporary Art on display, so if you visit TEFAF, be sure to give the « old » sections a good look as well. And TEFAF Paper remains a great source of contemporary photography and Japanese prints.