Art Shows That Are Actually Worth Attending
- Dee Momi
- Aug 13
- 11 min read
Updated: Sep 2
Art fairs sometimes get a bad reputation.
For some, they conjure up images of cavernous halls lit by clinical spotlights, where collectors in crisp linen discuss investment value over canapés.
And yes, those places exist - but the right shows are so much more than a transactional viewing of works. They’re a collision of culture, design, people and place, with as much to experience beyond the walls as there is hanging on them.
These are the ones that we feel stand out not just for the art, but for the atmosphere, the unexpected encounters and the stories they leave behind.
CHART Art Fair
Copenhagen / Denmark Next Edition: 28-31 August 2025
CHART is Scandinavia’s leading contemporary art fair, but it’s also a celebration of Nordic design, architecture and food.
Taking place in late August, it unfolds across several historic venues in central Copenhagen, each with its own architectural character.
The programming goes well beyond the gallery booths - think live music in a courtyard, experimental performance in a 19th-Century ballroom, or a dinner collaboration between a Michelin-starred Chef and an installation artist.
One year, a pop-up pavilion showcased only works by artists under 30, several of whom have since gone on to headline major European exhibitions.
Adding to its unique charm, CHART operates as a non-profit fair, founded by leading Copenhagen galleries to strengthen the Nordic art scene. They've become a model for sustainability, actively engaging with the Gallery Climate Coalition and even limiting participation to galleries within the Nordics to reduce the environmental impact of transporting artworks and attendees.
Because of its scale, CHART feels approachable. You can see everything in a day, then spend the evening at a waterfront wine bar with locals, discussing which piece moved you the most.
The Armory Show
New York / USA
Next Edition: 05-07 September 2025
An American institution founded in 1994, and named for the ground breaking 1913 exhibition that shocked the US art scene, now unfolds each September on the Hudson River’s pier complex. The location of The Armory Show offers sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, but inside, it’s all about the energy.
Here, the work feels more raw, more politically charged than in Basel or London. In the past few years, booths have tackled everything from climate change to racial injustice, sparking conversations that spill out into after-hours dinners and panel discussions across the city.
The show is inseparable from New York itself as its timing coincides with the city’s gallery season opener, meaning you can spend the day in the Armory’s curated aisles and the evening exploring Chelsea’s warehouse spaces or at an afterparty in a converted Brooklyn loft.
Notably, the show excels at fostering new talent and promoting accessibility through its dedicated ‘Presents’ section championing emerging galleries and highlighting solo and dual artist presentations of recent work.
The Armory Show’s blend of new and established talent, plus its commitment to diverse voices, makes it a vital hub for contemporary art.
Previously, a booth of neon works by a then little-known Mexican artist caused such a stir that collectors queued for hours to get inside - an unheard-of phenomenon in a fair environment.
Sydney Contemporary
Sydney / Australia
Next Edition: 11-14 September 2025
Sydney Contemporary offers a vibrant, Pacific Rim perspective - held every September at Carriageworks (a cavernous former railway workshop) the show features leading galleries from across Australia, New Zealand and the wider region.
The atmosphere is less about industry insiders and more focussed on bringing new audiences to contemporary art which fosters a primarily browsing environment, over serious purchasing power. Live performance is a strong component, and the fair is famous for its after-dark programme where DJs, light installations and experimental dance turn the venue into a cultural festival.
Having grown significantly since its founding in 2013, Sydney Contemporary has solidified its place as Australasia's largest international art fair, regularly attracting over 25,000 visitors. Beyond the main gallery presentations, it features sections showcasing emerging artists with accessible price points, and those dedicated to works on paper including prints, drawings and artist books.
Photo Sydney is a more recently launched sector, highlighting the richness and diversity of contemporary photography, offering a platform for established and growing voices in the medium. This layered approach ensures a rich and varied experience for all visitors, from seasoned collectors to first-time attendees.
A few years ago, a small booth presenting Indigenous Australian art drew the attention of an international curator, leading to the artists’ work being shown at the Venice Biennale the following season.
Frieze London
London / UK Next Edition: 15-19 October 2025
Frieze is not just another art fair - it’s an event that rewrites Regent’s Park for a week each October. Inside the custom-built marquee, the presentation is razor-sharp: more than 160 galleries showing everything from minimalist sculpture to conceptual installation.
But the real magic is the layering of the city around it.
You might step out from a booth showing a Damien Hirst spot painting and into a discreet Champagne bar where Hollywood actors mingle with performance artists.
The accompanying Frieze Masters section is just as compelling, pairing Old Masters with rare 20th-Century treasures, creating a dialogue across time periods.
A few years ago, a young London-based artist exhibited a series of large-scale charcoal drawings in a modest corner booth. By the end of the week, they’d been acquired by both a major US museum and a European Royal’s private collection - a transformation in career that only a platform like Frieze can deliver.
Beyond the curated displays, the real buzz lies in the unexpected connections - a chance encounter with a legendary artist discussing their next ambitious project, or an invitation to a private evening viewing in a hidden Mayfair townhouse.
Frieze isn’t just about the art you experience, but the entire world that opens up around it.
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
London / New York / Marrakech
Next Edition: London 16-19 October 2025
Dedicated exclusively to contemporary art from Africa and the African diaspora, 1-54’s scale is intimate, incorporating around 50 galleries - but the impact is magnificent. Visitors can expect a mix of established names and rising voices, with mediums ranging from painting to photography to textile art.
The Marrakech edition is particularly memorable: set in the stunning La Mamounia hotel, where palm-lined gardens and tiled courtyards form the backdrop to vibrant, often politically charged works. This location also expands to the DaDa space, allowing for even more engaging exhibitions and installations.
1-54 isn't just a market for art - it's a vital platform fostering dialogue and challenging preconceived notions around contemporary African art through its extensive FORUM programme which features talks, screenings and discussions curated by leading figures, exploring diverse themes of identity, legacy and artistic innovation.
In recent years, artists who first exhibited at 1-54 have gone on to major solo shows at institutions like the Tate Modern and the Centre Pompidou, proving the fair’s role as a launchpad for global careers.
The fair also plays a crucial role in bringing African art to a wider audience and global reach is expanding to include new territories, with galleries from countries like Kuwait and Japan joining recent editions.
Shanghai Biennale
Shanghai / China
Next Edition: 08 November 2025 - 31 March 2026
Asia’s longest-running contemporary art exhibition, the Shanghai Biennale transforms the Power Station of Art - a vast former industrial plant, China's first state-run contemporary art museum, and a former power plant that fuelled the industrialisation of the Huangpu River - into a multi-level cultural labyrinth every two years.
Each edition is built around a central theme, often tackling political, social and environmental issues through large-scale installations, video works and interactive projects.
What makes it worth the trip is the sheer ambition.
The building’s turbine hall is often the site of jaw-dropping centrepieces - one year, a monumental suspended sculpture made entirely of recycled materials greeted visitors as they entered.
The Biennale has consistently pushed artistic boundaries, becoming a large-scale platform for exhibition and discussion of contemporary art. In fact the 2012 theme, ‘Reactivation’ marked the new beginning and rejuvenation of the Power Station of Art.
The curators frequently mix established Chinese talent with international artists you’d normally see in Venice or Kassel, giving the Biennale both local depth and global reach. The Biennale has been instrumental in bridging the gap between Eastern and Western art scenes, providing a platform for Asian artists who may be overlooked by the Western art world and exposing Chinese audiences to international art thought.
The curatorial choices have evolved over time, moving from early editions that cautiously presented officially approved fine arts like traditional paintings and ink art to a more experimental approach that embraces diverse art forms and tackles contemporary themes. The Biennale now gives more power to the chief curator in selecting the theme and artists, aligning it with international curatorial practices.
And the experience doesn’t end at the museum doors. Shanghai’s art scene hums with pop-up events, open studios and afterparties in warehouse districts like West Bund, where collectors and artists mix over craft cocktails until sunrise.
The Biennale itself actively engages with the city through its ‘City Projects’ program which extends exhibitions and events into alternate diverse urban spaces, facilitating an active dialogue between contemporary art and Shanghai's booming urban environment.
This fosters a vibrant ecosystem of alliances and collaborations within the Shanghai art scene, benefiting local residents and showcasing Shanghai's modern and international image.
India Art Fair
New Delhi / India
Next Edition: 05-08 February 2026
Each February, the India Art Fair draws galleries, collectors and curators from across the subcontinent and beyond to the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi. It’s the most important platform for modern and contemporary Indian art, with works ranging from traditional miniature painting to avant-garde digital installations.
The fair’s appeal lies in the way it captures the energy of the Indian art world. You might move from a booth of 18th-Century Rajasthani works on handmade paper to a VR installation exploring urban life in Mumbai, all within a few metres.
Beyond the main exhibition, the India Art Fair also hosts an expansive program of artist-led talks, performances, workshops and outdoor projects that engage with the city beyond the fairgrounds.
In 2023 an outdoor installation of mirrored arches became an Instagram sensation, pulling in visitors who had never attended an art fair before. This immersive and highly shareable artwork resonated with audiences because of its visually captivating nature and interactive elements, allowing visitors to become part of the experience and capture unique reflections.
In 2025, a site-specific LED installation by the conceptual artist collective Claire Fontaine featured multilingual neon sculptures in locations across New Delhi, while artist Ayesha Singh designed the IAF Façade, drawing inspiration from women's contributions to Indian architecture.
The fair further champions local design talent through its growing Design section, showcasing collectible furniture, jewellery and textiles that blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics.
Notably, the fair launched the Swali Craft Prize in 2025, India's first grant recognising contemporary craft innovation, further bridging the gap between heritage and modern expression. India Art Fair also actively supports the growth of India's art infrastructure, having evolved into an essential partner for other initiatives across the country, organising collector weekends and supporting gallery weekends and cultural festivals.
Beyond the fair, New Delhi’s Lutyens district is home to colonial architecture, leafy boulevards and museums displaying some of India’s greatest treasures - meaning you can easily turn a visit into a broader cultural immersion.
Felix Art Fair
Los Angeles / USA
Next Edition: 25 February - 01 March 2026
Felix feels like the antidote to the convention centre.
Founded in 2019, the fair is held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, with each gallery taking over a guest room or cabana and instead of navigating an endless grid of white walls, you wander through suites where the art is hung above beds or propped against mid-century credenzas.
It’s intimate, relaxed and distinctly LA.
What truly sets Felix apart is its focus on creating an experience prioritising connoisseurship, collaboration and community among collectors, dealers and artists.
The fair is designed to be less about a transactional space and more focussed on a human one, fostering genuine connection and discovery. Galleries are encouraged to take risks with emerging artists, and attendees can interact with the artwork on a more personal level, as if it were displayed in their own homes.
Celebrities here aren’t just visitors - they sometimes showcase their own work. At the 2022 edition, a well-known actor presented a series of abstract paintings under a pseudonym, sparking debate about whether fame should be disclosed in the art market.
The rooftop pool, painted by the iconic David Hockney, becomes the unofficial networking hub, where gallerists, artists and curious locals talk shop over margaritas as the sun sets over the city.
Felix’s commitment to providing an efficient exhibition platform and an elevated experience for visitors continues to solidify its reputation as a crucial anchor of LA Art Week.
Art Dubai
Dubai / UAE
Next Edition: 17-19 April 2026
Held each Spring at the stunning Madinat Jumeirah, Art Dubai is the Middle East’s leading international art fair, but it’s more than a regional showcase. Over 100 galleries from around the world exhibit here, with a strong focus on art from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, making it one of the few places where you’ll see this breadth of work in one setting.
The venue alone feels worlds away from the typical structure of European fairs. Ornate interiors and Arabian Gulf views form the backdrop, and the programme extends into public talks, film screenings and installations dotted across Dubai’s beaches and skyscrapers.
Beyond the main gallery halls, Art Dubai is known for its distinct sections, including the Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba ('gateway' in Arabic, showcasing new works), and the dedicated Art Dubai Digital area exploring new media, NFTs and the intersection of art and technology.
Attending is also a rare opportunity to experience the city’s burgeoning art districts - Alserkal Avenue in particular - where industrial warehouses conceal experimental galleries, pop-up cafés and late-night DJ sets. The fair itself actively fosters the local arts community and contributes to the city's artistic landscape through initiatives such as the Dubai Public Art Strategy transforming spaces into canvases for local and international artists alike.
In 2020, Art Dubai also launched the Dubai Collection, bringing private curations into the public realm and addressing the lack of a permanent contemporary art museum in Dubai. This commitment to showcasing and nurturing artistic talent, combined with its strong regional focus and unique location, truly sets Art Dubai apart, making a compelling case that high-calibre collecting can seamlessly intertwine with a distinctly modern Middle Eastern cultural scene.
More recently in 2022, a rooftop performance overlooking the Burj Al Arab became one of the most talked-about moments of the week, as the hotel's iconic helipad hosted its first-ever art exhibition. This special event, held 212 metres above sea level, featured ‘The Art Maze’ - a steel labyrinth designed by Marcus Schaefer and housing 30 paintings by Sacha Jafri celebrating the 50th anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The event, attracting global art lovers and philanthropists, was a rare blend of art, architecture and technology, making the journey through the maze and its interactive VR and AR experiences unforgettable.
Art Basel
Basel / Switzerland
Next Edition: 18-21 June 2026
Art Basel has been referred to as the Olympics of the art world, but unlike sport - here the gold medals can be purchased, and the rates are not only diverse but up for potential negotiation.
Held each June in the Swiss city that shares its name, Basel brings together more than 280 of the world’s leading galleries, from blue-chip heavyweights to cutting-edge contemporary spaces.
What makes it worth attending isn’t just the staggering concentration of art - though seeing museum-quality works by Picasso, Basquiat and Kusama within metres of emerging talent is exhilarating. It’s the way the city transforms. Historic streets become an open-air gallery, the Rhine riverfront buzzes with pop-up performances, and private collectors open their homes for intimate viewings otherwise inaccessible at any other time.
In recent years, Art Basel has hosted everything from a floating installation of mirrored spheres drifting down the Rhine to a stand by an unknown painter from Ghana that sold out in a single morning, albeit in Miami, launching him into global recognition. Conversations in local cafés often prove as interesting as the pieces being shown - you might overhear curators debating the future of digital art while the next table hosts an unannounced musician-slash-collector whose work you didn’t even know existed.
To access our online Global Events Calendar featuring more than 500 listings annually, head to https://sevenaccess.crd.co
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