Observer - Felix Art Fair Opens With Early Sales and Enthusiasm for Smaller, More Reasonably Priced Works

“The vibes have been off the charts, and sales have been brisk,” Nicodim Gallery’s global director, Ben Lee Ritchie Handler, told Observer.
Elisa Carollo, Observer, February 20, 2025

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One hour after opening, Chicago’s Povos gallery, making its Felix debut, had already sold out its solo presentation of William Schaeuble’s captivating surreal paintings, thanks to a mix of pre-fair sales and on-site placements. Priced between $2,000 and $14,000, Schaeuble’s canvases transform everyday moments into enigmatic scenes that reflect life’s fleeting nature. “There was so much interest. I wish I brought more paintings,” the gallery founder Lucca Colombelli told Observer, remarking that by 1 p.m., demand had far outpaced supply. Next up for the artist is a group exhibition at Morán Morán in Los Angeles this spring (fitting, given the gallery’s role as Felix’s co-founder), followed by his next solo exhibition at Anna Zorina Gallery in New York, opening June 5.

 

 

 

While some long-time fair participants were absent this year, whether due to circumstance or having transitioned to Frieze, their absence created space for an influx of new galleries from across the country and abroad. These newcomers largely focused on presenting works by younger artists at accessible price points, with a noticeable emphasis on smaller-scale pieces that engaged in fascinating dialogues with the room interiors—including the bathrooms, which frequently became unexpected stages for curated presentations of works on paper.

 

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