After the pause of August, September marks the true beginning of the art world’s calendar. Dealers return, collectors re-emerge, and institutions unveil exhibitions designed to set the cultural agenda. For many, September is not simply another month: it is the opening act of the art market year.
For print and edition collectors, this moment is particularly important. September fairs and auctions often highlight editions by modern masters — from Picasso and Giacometti to Hockney and Warhol — alongside contemporary releases from leading living artists. These works are not only accessible entry points into collecting but also historically reliable barometers of market confidence.
Autumn is always central to the art market’s rhythm. Major auction houses in London, New York, and Hong Kong use September to launch the season, frequently spotlighting editions as part of their sales strategy. Bidders track results closely: strong performances in prints by artists such as Picasso or Hockney set the tone for demand across the wider market.
For collectors, September is a month of positioning. Acquiring editions early in the season can be strategic — securing key works before competition intensifies at Frieze London in October. At the same time, museum exhibitions often generate fresh interest in editioned works, reinforcing the role of prints as both culturally significant and highly collectable.
The fair circuit begins in Asia with Frieze Seoul (3–6 September 2025), where international galleries now showcase significant editions alongside paintings and sculpture. The fair reflects a growing appetite among Asian collectors for editioned works — a segment that offers both accessibility and strong long-term value.
Across the Atlantic, The Armory Show in New York (4 September 2025) combines modern and contemporary work, including important prints by post-war masters. For edition collectors, the Armory is a chance to encounter works in a setting that bridges institutional curation with market activity.
In Europe, Greece commands attention this September. Art Athina (18 September 2025) remains one of the continent’s longest-running fairs, with a growing presence of edition specialists, while the Athens Biennale (24 September 2025) provides a more experimental platform. Collectors attending Athens can experience both the intellectual depth of the Biennale and the immediacy of works available at Art Athina — a reminder that editions often sit at the crossroads of concept and collectability.
London also provides crucial context for collectors of editions this September. The Barbican’s Giacometti exhibition (from 3 September 2025) focuses on his sculptural and painted works, but Giacometti’s market also extends meaningfully into prints, which remain a more accessible way to collect the artist’s haunting vision of the human form.
At the Tate Modern (from 17 September 2025), Picasso: Theatre of the World explores the artist’s fascination with performance and stage design. Picasso’s printmaking output is vast and celebrated, and exhibitions such as this often reignite collector interest in his etchings, aquatints, and linocuts. For collectors building or refining a portfolio of editions, such institutional focus is an invaluable guide.
At the end of the month, Paris Fashion Week (29 September 2025) highlights the close interplay between fashion and art. Increasingly, editioned works play a role in this cross-disciplinary dialogue — with collaborations, multiples, and limited-edition releases bridging the two worlds. For collectors alert to these intersections, Paris provides a glimpse into how art, design, and editions continue to shape culture together.
While September sets the stage, the international spotlight already tilts toward Frieze London (15 October 2025). For collectors of editions, Frieze London is a key moment: major galleries showcase prints by both modern icons and contemporary innovators, often at price points that allow for strategic acquisitions. The September events — from Seoul to New York, Athens to London and Paris — provide the context and momentum that culminate in October’s flagship fair.
A season of opportunity
September is more than the first page of the autumn calendar. It is a vital moment for edition collectors: a chance to engage early, to position within the market, and to benefit from the insights offered by fairs, auctions, and exhibitions worldwide.
From Giacometti’s prints to Picasso’s linocuts, from Seoul’s international fair floors to London’s museum walls, September offers a wealth of opportunities to expand and enrich collections. For Andipa Editions, this season is a reminder that editions are not simply a more accessible entry into the art world — they are works of cultural and historical weight in their own right, carrying the signature, spirit, and vision of the artists who made them.
