Synopsis
London’s inaugural Zoo Art Fair in 2004 was meant as a modest showcase for young local galleries — but by nightfall, it had devolved into a scene more chaotic than the fairground’s neighboring monkey enclosure. Hundreds of stranded VIPs, including Tate director Nicholas Serota and Kunsthalle Zürich’s Beatrix Ruf, found themselves waving futile invitations outside the London Zoo gates. Even Frieze’s own founders couldn’t get in. As major fairs from Miami to Basel spawned ever more influential satellites, Zoo proved that even chaos could generate credibility in a market where proximity often equals power. EPILOGUE: Zoo thrived for a few years, until Frieze invented young-gallery sectors that killed it.
