Paco Barragán Analyzes Convergence of Art Fairs and Biennials in New Publication

Curator and writer Paco Barragán discusses his 2020 book examining the historical evolution and contemporary blending of art fairs and biennials. In an interview with Michele Robecchi, Barragán argues that traditional distinctions between commercial fairs and cultural biennials have dissolved, creating what he terms 'biennialization' of fairs and 'fairization' of biennials. He traces this development through case studies including ART COLOGNE, Art Basel, and various biennials, noting how Latin America once hosted the highest concentration of biennial exhibitions. Barragán critiques the lack of comprehensive scholarly attention to these platforms' economic and social dimensions within art history.