NADA Launches Chicago Invitational, Independent Brussels Cancelled

The New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) has announced the launch of Chicago Invitational, a new art fair set to take place from September 18 to 21, 2019 at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, coinciding with Expo Chicago. The fair will feature 35 US and international galleries. This move follows NADA's cancellation of its New York fair, replaced by initiatives like the New York Gallery Open during Armory Week and NADA House on Governors Island during Frieze New York. NADA executive director Heather Hubbs cited Chicago's historic role as a hub for artist-run galleries and alternative spaces as aligning with NADA's experimental spirit. Meanwhile, Independent Brussels, the Belgian edition of the fair founded in 2009 by Elizabeth Dee, Darren Flook, Matthew Higgs, Laura Mitterrand, and a consortium of galleries, has been cancelled. Launched in 2016, it initially ran concurrently with Art Brussels but shifted to autumn in 2018 with a more curatorial, performance-focused model curated by Vincent Honoré. The cancellation is attributed to the date change clashing with Brussels' spring art week and competition from Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, as well as logistical challenges from larger venue spaces. The struggles highlight the difficulties independent fairs face in scaling up.