What constitutes the "minor" here, and how do these attractions reflect—or reframe—your coordinates in the art system?
JB: Ultimately, it's tongue-in-cheek. We began, and remain, steadfastly ambitious in both size and scope, so the disjuncture of the name is something of a small joke. Regarding the reflection on our coordinates in the art system, the (perhaps faux-)modesty of the name contrasts with an industry steeped in its own culture of misinformation and half-truths. We feel no need to aggrandize our position; our work speaks for itself.
SBP: Minor Attractions as a name does not mean that what we show or what we do is minor; very much the opposite. We hope that Minor Attractions acts as a destination as well as a stepping stone, where international galleries can express their localities' rich creative scenes, or where local galleries can further connect with international audiences. We particularly encourage presentations by emerging galleries and not-for-profits who might be using Minor Attractions as their first taste of the London arts and creative scene.
London's art scene is often described as both particularly dynamic and structurally hostile to those who sustain it. How do you navigate that contradiction, and where does Minor Attractions situate itself within it?
SBP: We operate an open-door policy, and everyone is welcome; we are free for a reason. Minor Attractions was founded here in London in response to this sense of hostility towards the arts, whilst also responding to the access, experimentation, and cultural programming we identified as missing from a lot of local and international fairs. London's dynamism has also come from its struggles, and we aren't amiss to that. However, we stand strong in this open-door policy and try to keep costs down for galleries where we can, so that we can continue to platform emerging talent that may not have opportunities to show on such a stage yet.
JB: Minor Attractions is committed to creating and maintaining space for everyone. Our pricing structure for galleries also prioritises creating exhibition opportunities for even the smallest of programs, beginning at £100. We know our commitment to abating that hostility is seen, and we've been fortunate enough to see partners respond reciprocally.
The fair brings together commercial galleries and not-for-profit spaces. What does it mean to speak of "community" within a framework that operates within market logics?
JB: As a matter of principle, we hold that the market is not a particularly good determinant of quality. As such, it implores us as an organization primarily concerned with quality to create room for the non-profit spaces that may be committed to the most radical or niche aesthetics our platform allows.
SBP: When we speak of community, we speak of London—how we have all collectively and individually come up through the web of London's art and creative spheres as interns, students, art workers, and art lovers. Going into our fourth edition in 2026, we are continuing to prioritize the presence and collaboration of non-profits, community-based arts organizations, art collectives and educational institutions. This is where the programmatic events side of what we do becomes a gateway for diverse audiences who may not be familiar with what an art fair can be.
What prompted the expansion from a fair into a festival? What shifts when the format opens out in this way?
SBP: The program of events, music, films, and more that runs alongside the gallery booths at Minor Attractions is a key part of what pushes us beyond the realm of your typical art fair. Through a few simple questions—why are art fairs always so quiet? How can we open up this space to the intersections of art and music, art and performance, art and food?—We have grown to understand the differences in audiences who attend these events and the fair, which is where Summer Sessions, our new three-day festival of events from 28-30 May, comes in.
JB: There was an entire body of work that was being created that extended beyond the parameters of what we could do in a single space at a certain time of year. A festival became the most logical means of exploring what we wanted to achieve: being responsive at the levels of both site and locale, while reflecting the history of particular venues within specific subcultures.
Summer Sessions unfolds across South, East, and Central London. What does it mean to take a festival through the city rather than contain it within a single postcode?
JB: A key consideration was how the festival was going to interact with the communities on which the art fair is largely founded. Each area has shaped our approach to understanding London's cultural production in different ways, as spreading the festival out has allowed us to address those connections directly, in situ.
SBP: There are such distinct cultural and creative diversities in each of the areas we have chosen to host Summer Sessions. Take the St Moritz club as an example: this is one of the oldest clubs in Soho to still hold its late-night license, a cultural icon with images of famous punk, jazz, and pop musicians from the last 60-plus years lining the walls of its venue. We're pairing this iconic space with the launch of the new music app, Cantilever, to celebrate the ethos of St Moritz and its dedication to musicians.
The programme spans music, performance, publishing, and film. What's the connective tissue?
JB: The producers in one medium are rarely limited to that mode of expression. The connective tissue is the people themselves: the writers are the visual artists, the musicians. As for "emerging culture," I understand it to be a series of practices characterized by degrees of market or institutional recognition, but also by the urgency of its own survival.
SBP: London’s creative scenes have always been built upon scarcity, hardship, passion, and a drive to see and create what is seen to be missing. As a young organization ourselves, these issues are not lost on us, and as we have built this from the ground up, we are creating a community and network of collaborators, producers, artists, and galleries that fosters collaboration, where we all don't build on top of each other but together.
Summer Sessions will take place in London from 28-30 May 2026.
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- Cover Image:
Co-founder and Director Jacob Barnes and Director and Program Curator Sophie Barrett-Pouleau.
