Untitled Art, the independent fair that takes place in Miami Beach each December alongside Art Basel, has been acquired by South Florida Ventures, a rapidly expanding portfolio focused on luxury lifestyle brands in the Sunshine State.Untitled Art founder Jeffrey Lawson and his team will remain at the helm of the fair, according to a press release that says the acquisition will afford Untitled Art access to more resources and give its organisers more opportunities to scale the fair platform, test new markets, expand its curatorial team and enhance programming and year-round events. However, there are no concrete plans to expand to other cities yet. (Untitled Art formerly operated a second fair that took place in San Francisco each January.)“The opportunity to join South Florida Ventures is a natural progression for Untitled Art,” Lawson said in a statement. “While we continue to be an independently-focused brand, we now have the support of South Florida Ventures… This partnership cements our position within Miami while growing our ambitions and possibilities for the fair in Florida and beyond.”The South Florida Ventures portfolio is led by Ken McAvoy, and has snapped up other fast-growing shows in the Florida region in the luxury lifestyle sector, according to a press release. In 2019, South Florida Venture’s parent company, UK-based Informa Markets, acquired Art Miami Fair Group, which operates a handful of other local art fairs like Art Miami, Art Wynwood, Context, Aqua Art Miami and Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary.Untitled Art’s most recent edition, its 12th and largest with more than 160 stands, took place in December 2023. The next edition of the fair will run from 4 December to 8 December of this year, with a VIP preview on 3 December. A team of guest curators will join Untitled Art to help guide exhibitors in their presentations, and the fair will expand its Nest section dedicated to emerging and non-profit art spaces.Untitled Art is the latest independent art fair to be snapped up by a larger corporation in a string of acquisitions. Last year, both The Armory Show in New York and Expo Chicago were purchased by London-based Frieze.
