Are you ready to be both shocked and dismayed? Summer is officially more than half over. August in the art world often feels like a long, hot, slightly grim slog toward Frieze Seoul and The Armory Show—not to mention the wave of early-autumn art fairs descending on New York. But wait! Don’t write off summer’s dreariest month just yet. The list of August art fairs is surprisingly robust, especially for those intrepid art lovers willing to country hop. If you thought this month might offer a breather after July’s art fairs and festivals, think again. The world’s most dedicated fairgoers have their August calendars mapped out and are hitting the road to take in some—or even most—of these fairs dotting the globe.
The Aspen Art Fair 2025
Through August 2
The Aspen Art Fair, now in its second year, is back at the historic Hotel Jerome for Aspen Art Week, reimagining sixteen guest rooms, the ballroom and the bar as immersive gallery spaces. “I looked for months to find a venue that was appropriate,” Becca Hoffman, co-founder of the fair, told Observer. This relative newcomer to the expanding Aspen art scene is sure to make headlines with its lineup of more than forty international exhibitors and specially curated artist-in-residence projects. As part of the fair’s VIP program, a series of exclusive home tours highlights the remarkable collections held by Aspen residents. (Check out Observer’s favorite works from this regional art fair here.)
Intersect Aspen Art + Design Fair 2025
Through August 3
Intersect Aspen, an art fair founded in 2010, is a cornerstone of Aspen’s peak art season and summer cultural calendar. Once again at the Aspen Ice Garden, this year’s expanded edition of the fair has artworks by over 100 artists displayed by more galleries than ever before—including international names like Heard Gallery, Kedria Arts, LEE & BAE and Varvara Roza Gallery. While design was integrated into the fair’s program last year, art is still number one at Intersect. “The overwhelming response we received from the art community last year has propelled Intersect Aspen to this unparalleled presentation of galleries, artists, works, cultural partners, media partners and a record-setting pre-registration of collectors,” CEO Tim von Gal said in a statement. “We could not be more excited about this year’s edition.”
Whitehawk Antique Indian & Ethnographic Art Show 2025
August 8-11
The Whitehawk Antique Indian & Ethnographic Art Show was several fairs before Objects of Art Santa Fe and The Antique American Indian Art Show merged to become Objects of Art & American Indian/Tribal Santa Fe in 2022. IAF Indigenous Art Fair Contemporary fits in there somehow, but the event originally slated for August of 2024 has been postponed until further notice, according to the Whitehawk website. The Whitehawk Antique Indian & Ethnographic Art Show—a staple of the Santa Fe art scene for more than forty-six years, whatever name you give it—brings together over a hundred of the world’s premier experts in this space showing “the best of the best” of modern and historical textile art, folk art, pottery, jewelry, beadwork, woodcarving and more from Native American and other indigenous cultures. Whitehawk bills the fair as a place where you can learn more not only about the art but also the people who created it and the context in which it was created.
SWISSARTEXPO 2025
August 20-24
In Zurich, SWISSARTEXPO is yet another fair that aims to connect artists and art enthusiasts through lively conversation. (We love that so many fairs are trying to strip the lingering veneer of exclusivity from art world events.) In past years, SWISSARTEXPO has attracted 80,000 visitors per day, there to see more than 100 exhibitors from all over the world displaying art under the sculpture L’ange protecteur by Niki de St. Phalle. This is the fair’s seventh year, and chances are it will have a long life, given its reputation for innovation. Most importantly, this fair is free, but it was also one of the first to incorporate QR codes into displays, making it easier to find out more information about specific art and artists—and in some cases, to access related audio and video guides.
KUNST/MITTE 2025
August 28-31
The eleventh edition of KUNST/MITTE in Magdeburg, Germany, brings together about sixty exhibitors—a roster that includes not only galleries but also artists and artist collectives. Additionally, ten young artists will present their work in the YoungArtistSpace (YAS). There’s not a ton of exhibition space at this fair, but the organizers manage to pack in an engaging variety of paintings, mixed-media works, sculpture, collages, fine art photographs and installations by artists there for the exposure and to compete for several prizes. There’s also an extensive supporting program, with free guided tours of the fair, performances and COLLECTOR’S NIGHT, during which exhibitors present one previously unshown work per booth for the first time ever.
SP–Arte Rotas Brazileiras 2025
August 27-31
SP–Arte’s Rotas Brazileiras is a São Paulo art fair laser-focused on the art of Brazil and its contexts, historical and otherwise. This year marks the fair’s fourth edition, which will again feature artistic direction by Brazilian curator, editor and art critic Rodrigo Moura, who is also director of the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. Rotas Brazileiras bills itself as a fair of discoveries, and this year, the fair will bring together sixty curated projects brought by galleries, cultural institutions and initiatives at ARCA. What you’ll see: thoughtfully curated presentations of works mounted by art spaces from across Brazil; institutional presentations that shed light on their collections; special projects designed to promote Brazilian art and support the work of the country’s artists; and the visual delights of the Mirante sector, which brings together large-scale paintings, sculpture and installations.
CHART Art Fair 2025
August 28-31
CHART, which takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark’s Kunsthal Charlottenborg, was founded more than a decade ago by five Copenhagen art galleries and has given the region’s contemporary art scene an annual boost ever since. Now in its thirteenth edition, this August art fair brings together a roster of established, celebrated Nordic artists exhibited by leading regional galleries and new talent from around the globe. As always, there will also be a public program of artist talks, panel discussions, performances and film screenings focused on New Voices in The Nordics. The associated month-long off-site sculptural exhibition in Tivoli Garden, CHART in Tivoli, is always a highlight, as are the art book and print components of the fair. This year, a new series of Art Running Tours will see guides taking visitors around Copenhagen, pointing out sites where artworks are transforming public spaces into vibrant cultural destinations.
ART021 Hong Kong 2025
August 28 – September 9
Shanghai-based art fair operator ART021—which was founded in 2013 by art collectors Kylie Ying, Bao Yifeng and David Chau— launched a distributed Hong Kong fair last year, with the inaugural edition taking place across multiple venues (including an outdoor sculpture garden) and not at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as originally announced. This year, ART021 is collaborating with iconic art venues across Hong Kong to present five distinctive sections: GALLERIES, VIDEOS, SCULPTURE, EXPANSION and GBA ART WEEK. The GALLERIES section will once again be mounted in the Asia-Pacific headquarters of auction house Phillips in the WKCDA Tower, which will host presentations brought by forty galleries. The EXPANSION section, hosted by the Fringe Club, will host conceptual works, live performances, forums and other events.
Enter Art Fair 2025
August 28-31
Established by Julie Leopold in 2019, Enter Art Fair at Lokomotivværkstedet in Copenhagen is Scandinavia’s largest international art fair. This year, it will bring ninety-four of the world’s leading art galleries from nineteen countries and forty-five cities together in what it dubs a “nexus of creative and commercial exchanges.” More than 20,000 art collectors, enthusiasts and professionals are expected to come for the paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, glass, video, photography and digital works by more than 350 artists, as well as the annual Art and Talks Program and a performance program, all dedicated to fostering growth within the Danish, Scandinavian and international arts industries.
Affordable Art Fair Melbourne 2025
August 28-31
Since its inception in 1999, Will Ramsay’s Affordable Art Fair has emerged as a beacon for art enthusiasts and collectors alike, democratizing the acquisition of art with its welcoming, inclusive ethos. Affordable Art Fair Melbourne brings Ramsay’s ethos to Australia with a show of original, contemporary artworks by emerging and established artists, all priced up to AUD$10,000 and no higher. On the exhibitor list are seventy galleries from Australia, Asia and even Peru, but you’ll find no U.S. or North American galleries at this edition of what has become an art world event widely lauded for its commitment to accessible collecting. This year’s fair will celebrate the talents of portrait painter Sally Ryan.
arteba 2025
August 29-31
The Center Costa Salguero in Buenos Aires is hosting this year’s arteba art fair, which will showcase the work of more than 400 artists represented by around sixty galleries from a diverse range of geographies. Often incorrectly labeled ArteBA—”Usos incorrectos: Arte BA, arte BA, arteBa, arteBA,” the fair’s press room proclaims—this August art fair was founded in 1991 by Jacobo Fiterman and nonprofit Fundación arteba as part of efforts to strengthen Buenos Aires’ art market and promote Argentine art. It has since become Argentina’s longest-running and most important modern and contemporary art fair, as well as one of the must-attend Latin American art fairs, attracting about 100,000 people annually.
ART-O-RAMA 2025
August 29-31
Marseille’s ART-O-RAMA, the first international art fair in the South of France, has carved out a distinct niche in the global fair landscape since its inception, offering a compelling entry point for galleries looking to access both the Mediterranean and European markets. Produced by Fræme in co-production with La Friche la Belle de Mai, this year marks the 19th edition of the fair, with more than 60 galleries and publishers showcasing a carefully curated selection of emerging local and international art. One feature that sets ART-O-RAMA apart is its expansion into contemporary design with the Immaterial Salon—a fresh addition that complements the fair’s established visual art offerings. Visitors, as always, can take advantage of screenings and discussions, all free to the public. This year’s fair is overseen by a committee of established figures, including collector Frédéric de Goldschmidt, curator Cédric Fauq, and gallery owners Marie Madec, Haynes Riley, Joana Roda, and Sophie Tappeiner.
Even more August art fairs in 2025
As always, what’s above doesn’t represent the totality of the August art fair calendar in 2025—there are always plenty of smaller, lesser-known and niche art fairs happening around the world. Here’s a quick roundup of several more art fairs and festivals you might want to check out this month.
ART ANTIQUE Residenz Salzburg 2025
August 9-17
Knokke Art Fair 2025 (Knokke-Heist, Belgium)
August 9-17
BADA Argentina 2025 (Buenos Aires)
August 28-31
Paréidolie 2025 (Marseille)
August 29-31