Engaged and motivated art buyers and collectors

The FAIR ART TRADE label is rendering visible many of the dysfunctions of the art system. The dissemination and public communication (F campaigns) of these issues is as well raising awareness and guiding art buyers and collectors into caring, supporting and understanding the importance of investing in F certified artworks.

Contemporary archaeologies

F artworks are very singular, especially for low budget buyers, investors and art researchers interested in completing or understanding the investigative and experimental processes of a curated and proficient selection of visual artists.

Avoid the 50% toll

Most commercial art galleries keep 50% of the total price of any sold artwork, making art innaccesible for many.  A FAIR ART TRADE labelled artwork guarantees purchasers that they are not paying excessive intermediaries extra charges and that the transaction is fair and honest.

Art market regulation

New European and North-american bills aim to improve anti–money laundering efforts by making it harder for purchasers to obscure their identity through offshore entities and shell companies.

Any art collectors wanting to buy, trade, and operate in the U.K. and EU need to understand how to comply with the new regime and what galleries, auction houses, and other vendors will expect of them. Dealers and collectors in the Americas, Asia, and other regions will also need to comply with the new regime when working with clients in the U.K. and EU.  These new regulations can have a negative impact on intermediaries, but it can also strengthen the middle and lower layers of the art market architecture.

Commercial gallery compatibility

FAIR ART TRADE is compatible with artists represented by commercial contemporary art galleries.  Visual artists without an international exclusivity agreement (oral or written) with a commercial gallery may apply for membership once a year.

Reduce footprint

FAIR ART TRADE enables the sales of assets that the artist thought would not provide any income. This can lead to optimizing work processes and generating less waste.  F provides more work space for artists and less rent expenses while improving energy efficiency and resources for storage and conservation of artworks.

An incentive for lower and middle layers 

FAIR ART TRADE promotes the rise of investment in the lower and middle layers of nowadays contemporary art production, shedding light on the incongruence of overpriced artworks designed to fit in an exclusive and unregulated art market that is sometimes, unfortunately, linked to financial opacity and irregular transactions.  This could explain why some relevant contemporary art fairs take place in tax havens.

The F Mark Logo

The FAIR ART TRADE (F) Mark is a certification label for artworks created by a curated selection of visual artists and proficient live artists whose F membership has been previously approved.

The F Mark is used only on artworks certified in accordance with the FAIR ART TRADE Standards and on promotional materials, guaranteeing a fair, transparent and honest transaction. F was created by artists, for everyone interested in rendering possible a more sustainable and democratised contemporary art paradigm.