Good reasons to plan your visit according to the art scene
By Giorgio Guglielmino
If you’re planning to travel to Europe for any reason between October 2025 and March 2026 (for business, pleasure, or for a friend’s wedding) and you’re passionate about contemporary art, here are some suggestions for combining your trip with a visit to a major art fair dedicated to the art you’re interested in.
Frieze London and Frieze Masters 15-19 October 2025
Art Basel Paris 22-26 October 2025
Art Cologne 6-9 November 2025
Artefiera Bologna 6-9 February 2026
ARCO Madrid 4-8 March 2026
October gets off to a flying start with the two most important events of the European autumn-winter season: Frieze in London and Art Basel in Paris. These competing fairs don’t overlap, but they take place so close together that, unless you have ten days to spare, they force art enthusiasts to make a choice: Frieze or Art Basel, London or Paris. Those forced to take part in both are the large galleries who can’t afford to miss either event. Of the more than 200 galleries in each of the two cities, the large and medium-sized galleries move seamlessly from one to the other, just with a couple of days off.
Both Frieze London and Art Basel Paris are events that combine the variety and quality of the works with two other aspects: a number of public spaces shows (the Serpentine Gallery in London opens an exhibition by Peter Doig on October 10th) and a good number of social events, which are what neo-collectors and pseudo-collectors look forward to.
Anyone looking for a no-frills fair focused on the works shouldn’t miss Art Cologne, a wonderful event that boasts the distinction of being the first contemporary art fair born in 1967. With a focus on German galleries and artists alongside international participants, it’s an event that captivates with its carefully selected selections. You won’t find €20 million worth of headline-grabbing works, but an impressive number of high-quality works, even at relatively affordable prices of €10,000 and up. Alongside the fair, a visit to the Ludwig Museum is a must where you find pieces from Mark Rothko to Jackson Pollock, from Andy Warhol to Roy Lichtenstein, from Gerhard Richter to Sigmar Polke, to name just a few.
At the beginning of February, ArteFiera will be held in Bologna, once the most important art event in Italy. But in the last ten but years it has faced fierce competition from both Miart in Milan in early April and Artissima in Turin in early November. Milan and Turin’s eagerness to become international fairs has pushed Bologna to focus on the Italian art scene, offering a wide selection.
ARCO Madrid has a feature that distinguishes it from other European fairs: in addition to Spanish and European artists, there is always an interesting selection of galleries and artists from Latin America among the more than 200 galleries participating. It is therefore a unique opportunity for those in Europe to explore what is being produced in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru. Some South American artists are now also working with major European and American galleries (Chilean Cecilia Vicuña with Lehmann Maupin and White Cube, Brazilian Beatriz Milhazes with Pace Gallery and White Cube, Argentinian Leandro Erlich with Galleria Continua), but the broad panorama offered by ARCO is unparalleled.
There’s another event I’m pleased to highlight, even if it’s not in Europe. It’s the first edition of Art Basel Doha, which will take place from February 5 to 7 2026. The event isn’t in Europe, but since many travelers use Qatar Airways to fly to Rome, Paris, or Frankfurt, they can take the opportunity of a 24-hour stopover in Doha to visit this first edition of the latest addition to the Art Basel universe. Doha will be an interesting time. On the one hand, it represents a natural progression in the Middle Eastern artistic penetration following the opening of several museums in the region (such as the Louvre in Abu Dhabi). On the other, it comes at a time of adjustment (let’s not call it a crisis) in the contemporary art market. Will it be able to break through and be successful? Those who visit Doha in early February will tell us.
There’s something for everyone; art lovers have their pick. If I can, I’ll skip the dinners, cocktails, and conversation and head off to relax in the beauty of Art Cologne again this year: what a pleasure!
