Shortly after closing the books on its dedicated 20th-century edition late last month, Independent Art Fair revealed that it was acquired by Informa, a London publishing, research, business intelligence, and exhibitions conglomerate.
Independent’s cofounder and creative director Elizabeth Dee confirmed the partnership to Artnews, noting that Informa acquired the New York City-based fair in 2025 and was behind both the May and September iterations this year. Dee has not responded to Hyperallergic‘s request for comment.
While not overtly disclosed, Informa’s hand now becomes evident through the original Independent Art Fair’s shift to Pier 36 this May, which nearly doubled the participant lineup compared to its previous launchpad at Spring Studios, and in Independent 20th Century’s controversial debut at the Sotheby’s Breuer building last month after four years at the Battery Maritime building.
Dee also told the publication that she was staying on board to oversee the now twice-annual event, which she launched in 2010 alongside curator Darren Flook, and was adamant that Informa was “committed to Independent’s creative and curatorial autonomy.” The fair’s scrappy beginnings at the Dia Center for Art’s old headquarters were later refined into spatially attuned curations of 20th- and 21st-century art.
