Art for all, or Art as a privilege?

I have never really understood the statement "Art for all." For whom? What kind of art? And if it is truly for all, doesn't art lose its very sense? These, and many other questions, come back to me every time I hear or see this phrase. On the other hand, is art a privilege? Does that mean it is only for a select group of people? Which group? And who decides who belongs to it?

There are countless art fairs taking place around the world. In London alone, there seems to be a new open call for another art fair almost every week - for British, European, or international; for classical, contemporary, or modern art. Something for every taste. And that's without even mentioning exhibitions and independent art events. There is so much art that you begin to lose yourself in the whirlwind. Some meanings become clearer, while others slip away. And the more you attend, the faster you move through them… The first time, you stop at every stand. You photograph every artwork. You Google every artist. By the tenth or twentieth visit, it takes far less time to recognize, among everything on display, what is truly worth your attention.

Unfortunately. And how great it would be to linger at every stand, as it was the first time. But experience shapes your taste, especially when your professional occupation doesn't require you to gasp in admiration where you genuinely feel none. Eventually, you develop your own formula: if twenty to thirty percent of what you've seen genuinely captures your attention, then it has been a good art fair. Still, it would be much better to have those standards higher. 

Art is not for everyone. Because it is not mass market. In fact, it is not meant to be a "market" at all. That does not mean art belongs only to the "chosen." There are different forms and kinds of art, but each of them requires a certain degree of preparation if one is to understand its value - the value of a particular painting, sculpture, or photograph. "Art for everyone" becomes a marketplace. A bazaar. And there is no place for Art.

Art demands certain conditions: the way it is presented, the space it inhabits, the context in which it is encountered. And it also demands an audience that is prepared - an audience capable of recognizing and appreciating its value.

From 24th to 30th of June, the Treasure House Fair took place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. The fair was launched following the cancellation of Masterpiece London in 2023 by MCH Group. In response, two of Masterpiece's original co-founders—antiques dealer Thomas Woodham Smith and stand builder Harry Van der Hoorn of Stabilo—created a smaller event at the same historic venue where Masterpiece had previously been held. This year, Treasure House Fair celebrated its fourth edition, bringing together 59 exhibitors.

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Image: ‘Volubilis’ by Alfred Boucher (French, 1850-1934), presented by MACCONNAL-MASON gallery