In just two weeks, L.A.’s newest art fair will open its doors to a city already hosting Frieze, L.A. Art Show, the Other Art Fair and Felix. But this one—competitively priced at a mere $10—comes with a last-minute plot twist. Post-Fair will bring twenty-nine local, national and international galleries and project spaces to 1248 5th Street in Santa Monica. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because Post-Fair is the art fair formerly known as Santa Monica Post Office, freshly rebranded in a surprise eleventh-hour pivot.
Fair founder Chris Sharp (of Chris Sharp Gallery in L.A.) already picked a hell of a year to launch his alternative three-day venture, what with the usual headaches of putting together an inaugural edition compounded by the lingering impact of L.A.’s wildfires on artists and institutions. Now, he’s fast-tracked a total rebrand of the art fair just a month after announcing its debut on top of everything else. But, as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. According to a release sent out this morning (Feb. 6), Post-Fair will still have the same organizers, same venue, same concept and same ethos—it’s just “operating under a name that is less tied to a specific venue and allows for future iterations.” Participating galleries and project spaces include P·P·O·W (New York); Sprüth Magers (Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York); KAYOKOYUKI (Tokyo); Tureen (Dallas); ZERO… (Milan); Louis Reed (New York); The Untitled Love (Los Angeles); and Harlesden High Street (London).
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For the record, we think Santa Monica Post Office was a fantastic name for an art fair, inspired as it was by its debut venue: a gorgeous, disused 1930s Art Deco post office on 5th. “An iconic setting for an intimate and engaging fair,” Sharp said in a statement, adding that it’s conveniently pretty close to Frieze over at Santa Monica Airport, though one wonders how much overlap there will actually be between the two crowds. Meanwhile, the Other Art Fair, which is significantly further afield, is offering free reciprocal entry to Post-Fair attendees on Saturday and Sunday.
So why the abrupt shift from Santa Monica Post Office to Post-Fair just two weeks before showtime? In a statement to Observer, the fair’s management cited “an unforeseen issue with the original name” but left it at that. The rebrand, they said, was simply part of ensuring a seamless launch. “While the timing was unexpected, the new name better reflects the fair’s vision beyond a single venue,” they said. “The organizers remain focused on delivering a strong inaugural edition and look forward to welcoming everyone to Santa Monica.”
New name, same show—now with just a little bit of mystery.
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