Maze, Frieze, Arco
- KRC
- Feb 17
- 4 min read
From the alpine luster of Gstaad, to the speed of Frieze LA, and ending with the Spanish charm of Arco, we’ve pulled out the moments that felt most relevant for the weeks ahead.
To wrap things up, three artist spotlights followed by exhibitions we wouldn’t miss in New York and Florida.
This edition is built for being “on the ground”: where to spend time, and the small decisions that keep a trip enjoyable and a collection growing.
Maze, Gstaad
19 February – 22 February 2026
Festival-Zelt, Sportzentrum, Gstaad, Switzerland
Nestled in the snowy Swiss Alps, Maze Art Gstaad is a boutique winter art fair that feels like a cultural rendez-vous in one of Europe’s most elegant mountain towns. For its third edition, the Festival-Zelt in the heart of Gstaad becomes a focused, intimate setting where a curated mix of leading international galleries, contemporary art and collectible design come together.
Josef Albers
Homage to the Square, 1961
| White Cube | Booth D02
Sara Flores
Untitled (Ani Bero 2), 2023
| White Cube | Booth D02
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Opticks 637, 2024 | Lisson Gallery | Booth E3
Exhibitions:
Picasso: Painter & Model Reflections | Tarmak 22
Irving Penn | Gagosian Gallery
Joel Mesler & Nir Hod: Mountains and Flowers | Patricia Low Contemporary
Still Life, Living Form | Almine Rech
Where To Dine:
Restaurant Sonnenhof: Chalet-style dining room with a panoramic terrace and a Mediterranean leaning menu. Best for a lunch with a great view.
La Fromagerie at the Gstaad Palace: Gstaad’s cult fondue room, set in the palace’s former bunker. Excellent winter mood.
Hotel Olden: The kind of place that feels embedded in Gstaad. Unhurried service, an easy choice for lunch or dinner.
Collector’s Checklist ✅
Alongside the travel notes, we’re also sharing a short fair-season checklist: what to ask when something catches your eye, what to request before you commit, and the small details that separate a great impulse from a great acquisition.
A few questions to keep close:
What is the work’s full exhibition history and provenance chain?
What is the edition context (if applicable): total edition, APs, TPs, and placement within the edition?
What is the condition narrative: what has been done, when, by whom, and what, if needed, could be recommended next?
What is the artist’s current market temperature: primary demand vs secondary value?
What is the practical reality: lead times, crating, shipping route, insurance values, import fees and installation requirements?
Frieze, Los Angeles
26 February - 1 March, 2026
Santa Monica Airport
Frieze Los Angeles is special for many reasons. The February light, the palm trees, the ease of being outdoors… it softens the pace of a major fair in the best way.
Beyond the booths, it’s the sense of community that defines LA. Studio visits with local artists, collectors opening their homes, and outdoor dinners hosted by galleries we all know and love. Conversations stretching long past sunset, there’s opportunity here to connect and to engage with work + art world friends in a way that feels less overwhelming than other winter fairs.
Solange Pessoa
Untitled, from Botânicas series, 2018
| Mendes Wood | Booth A05
Jordan Ann Craig
Sharp Tongue; Shoulda Coulda Wouda Didn’t, 2025 | Hales Gallery | Booth B17
The Exhibitions:
Keep Movin’ - Wolfgang Tillmans, Regen Projects
Na Boca Do Sol - Paulo Nimer Pjota, Francois Gheblay
Naming Colors - Ellsworth Kelly, Matthew Marks Gallery
Where To Dine:
Uchi, West Hollywood: Modern Japanese cooking, excellent sushi, but the cooked dishes are where it really excels.
Giorgio Baldi, Pacific Palisades: Un-showy, impeccably consistent Italian; still the right answer after all these years.
Tower Bar, West Hollywood: Old-school, low light, excellent martinis.
El Compadre, Hollywood: A lively classic with character, plus a little theatre courtesy of their fiery margaritas.
Coming up: Arco, Madrid
4 March – 8 March 2026
IFEMA Exhibition Centre, Madrid
Arco Madrid brings together a highly considered mix of international galleries and strong curatorial programming. Presentations feel well thought out with a balance of historical depth and an important emerging perspective that rewards thoughtful collecting.
Madrid itself amplifies the week. Major museums, foundations, and private collections activate in tandem, and the dialogue extends naturally into gallery gatherings and collector events across the city.
Must-Sees:
Museums
Juan Muñoz: Art Stories | Museo Nacional del Prado
Alberto Greco: Long live living art | Reina Sofia
Liria Palace - Which exhibits a notable classic collection of art (bookings required)
Galleries
Galeria Elvira Gonzalez
Travesia Cuatro
Ehrhardt Florez Gallery
Galeria Max Estrella
Where To Dine:
Lana: Grill-led menu. Refined, energetic, and best for a proper dinner plan.
Restaurante Sacha: Intimate dining experience, the kind of place locals keep for themselves.
El Paragaus: Refined Spanish dishes in a crisp setting. Ideal for a long lunch or an effortless but elegant evening.
Artist Spotlights
Jack Penny
Emil Sands
Dennis Miranda
What’s Happening in New York:
Hilder Palafox: De Tierra Y Susurros | Sean Kelly Gallery | 9 January 2026 - 21 February 2026 | 475 Tenth Ave at 36th Street
Jasper Johns: Between the Clock and the Bed | Gagosian | 22 January 2026 - 14 March 2026 | 980 Madison Avenue
Jean Royere: Connecting the Past to the Present | Royere Gallery | Ongoing | 315 Spring Street
What’s Happening in Florida:
The Norton Museum | Art and Life in Rembrandts time | 25th October 2025 - 29th March 2026 | 1450 South Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach
The Marguiles Collection at the Warehouse | Pop Art: Johns, Lichtenstein, Warhol, Wesselmann, Rosenquist, Chamberlain, Segal Miami | 12 Nov 2025 - 04 Apr 2026 | 591 NW 27th St, Miami
From the Collection Desk
If you’re travelling for fairs and exhibitions, we’re always happy to share how we’d pace the week, what’s worth prioritising, and the small decisions that make the difference between “busy” and “well spent”. If you want a second set of eyes on an itinerary, a hit list, or advice on a work you’re considering, just email us and we’ll weigh in.
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