Independent, the celebrated art fair organization known for staging two distinct annual events in New York—a contemporary art fair in the spring and a 20th-century art exhibition in the fall—has been acquired by the London-based multinational conglomerate Informa. The sale was finalized last year, meaning that both of the 2026 fairs were successfully executed under Informa’s corporate ownership.
The acquisition represents a major milestone for Independent as it approaches its twentieth anniversary. Founded in 2010, the organization has earned a reputation as one of the art world’s most respected and thoughtfully curated commercial platforms, balancing the visual atmosphere of a museum exhibition with the dynamic energy of a high-end marketplace.
A Vision for the Future Under Corporate Partnership
Despite the change in ownership, leadership remains stable. Elizabeth Dee, the founder and creative director of Independent, will remain in her current role to oversee both fairs alongside the existing leadership team.
In an email to ARTnews, Dee expressed optimism regarding the transition and the organization’s trajectory. “Independent’s future is bright. With Informa as our partner, Independent is redefining what an art fair can be with the spirit of a museum exhibition and the energy of a marketplace,” Dee wrote. She further reassured exhibitors in a separate Friday afternoon memo, emphasizing that the timing was right to secure a partner capable of supporting the fair’s continued growth while preserving its core mission.
“On the eve of the milestone 20th anniversary of Independent, we decided that the timing was right to find a partner to support Independent’s continued growth while remaining true to our mission,” Dee wrote to exhibitors. “We trust that the achievements of Independent in May and Independent 20th Century in September—both realized as part of Informa—speak for themselves and make evident our steadfast commitment to the high quality of the exhibitions.”
Dee also underscored that creative and curatorial autonomy will be preserved under Informa’s stewardship. “Both Independent and Informa remain committed to Independent’s creative and curatorial autonomy under the leadership of our team,” she concluded. “We fully intend to shepherd and grow the organization as an outstanding curated platform for modern and contemporary art, as we always have done. We are confident that this will provide new opportunities for Independent and for our participating galleries.”
Informa’s Global Footprint and Growing Art Portfolio
Headquartered in London and formed in 1998, Informa is a massive publishing, business intelligence, and exhibitions group that organizes major trade shows and commercial events worldwide across a remarkably diverse array of industries. Its global portfolio includes exhibitions focused on comic books, aviation, cosmetics, health and wellness, food and hospitality, pharmaceuticals, jewelry, fashion, ceramics, computer security, technology, energy, and boating.
Financial disclosures underscore the immense scale of the parent company. Informa’s half-year financial report for 2026 indicated $2.7 billion in revenue alongside an adjusted operating profit of $723.7 million. The conglomerate is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange, where it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Its major institutional shareholders include prominent global asset management firms such as BlackRock, Newton Investment Management, Lazard Asset Management, Norges Bank, Artemis Investment Manager, and Invesco. Overall, Informa employs approximately 14,000 people spread across some 42 countries.
The acquisition of Independent marks Informa’s very first New York-based art brand. The conglomerate’s other notable high-profile ventures include the prestigious Monaco Yacht Show and the Cannes Lions international festival of creativity. Additionally, Informa operates South Florida Ventures, a regional subsidiary that oversees several prominent art fairs, including Untitled Art, Art Miami, and Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary. However, despite sharing a parent company, Independent will remain entirely separate from South Florida Ventures, maintaining its distinct curatorial identity and operational independence.
Origins and Evolution of the Independent Model
To understand the significance of Independent within the contemporary art landscape, one must look back to its founding. Launched in 2010, the fair was established in a former warehouse in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood that previously served as the home of the Dia Center for the Arts. The venture was cofounded by Elizabeth Dee, who was working at the time as a New York gallerist, alongside Matthew Higgs, the director of White Columns, who continues to serve as the fair’s curatorial adviser.
From its inception, Independent sought to distinguish itself from traditional commercial art fairs through its innovative spatial design and curatorial philosophy. Rather than relying on the uniform, boxy booths that typically characterize commercial trade shows, the fair emphasized open flow, architectural cohesion, and a spatial layout that encouraged viewers to engage with art in a manner closer to a museum retrospective.
Independent also broke new ground in how it integrated nonprofit institutions alongside commercial galleries. Press materials for the inaugural edition avoided the term "art fair" entirely, instead utilizing descriptors such as "collective," "consortium," and "hybrid model and temporary exhibition forum," as noted by The New York Times at the time. The inclusion of nonprofits exhibiting side-by-side with commercial dealers was a novel approach that has since become a standard expectation at many similar events across the international art market.
After staging its first five iterations at the former Dia building, Independent relocated to Spring Studios in Tribeca in 2016. During this period, the organization also briefly expanded internationally, launching Independent Brussels, which ran from 2016 to 2018 at the former Espace Vanderborght department store.
Recent Expansion and Milestone Editions in New York
In recent years, Independent has experienced a period of significant physical expansion and venue transitions in New York, culminating in landmark editions for both of its annual events.
In 2022, the organization launched Independent 20th Century. Conceived by Dee, Higgs, and Sofie Scheerlinck—formerly of the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF)—the new offshoot was designed to focus specifically on art produced between 1900 and 2000. As ARTnews reported at the time, the new fair was created with the explicit aim of revising the historical art canon to present a more diverse and inclusive picture of 20th-century art history.
After spending four years at the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan, Independent 20th Century relocated to the iconic Breuer building for its fifth edition. The Brutalist architectural masterpiece, originally built for the Whitney Museum of American Art, was acquired by Sotheby’s in 2023, and the prominent auction house joined the fair as a formal partner. This strategic partnership and venue change enabled the fair to expand substantially, growing to 57 exhibitors compared to just 31 at its previous downtown location. In its review of the 2026 edition, ARTnews noted that despite nearly doubling in size, the fair successfully maintained its viewer-friendly atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the flagship spring contemporary art fair also underwent a major transformation, moving to Pier 36 on the Lower East Side. This relocation more than doubled the physical footprint of the event. The expanded venue immediately drew international headlines by featuring garments by Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo in what marked her first-ever solo art fair presentation.
With Informa now firmly established as its financial and operational partner, Independent enters its upcoming twentieth anniversary year poised to maintain its dual commitment to curatorial rigor and commercial innovation within the global art market.
