CAN Ibiza’s fifth edition closed on June 29, 2026 with a clear message: scale can be a selling point. About 30 exhibitors filled the FECOEV exhibition center for a fair that runs from 5 to 10 p.m., then spills into a VIP afterparty, giving the event a rhythm closer to a summer gathering than a conventional market marathon.
That atmosphere has become central to CAN’s identity. Christoph Noe of Larry’s List, who organized a collector trip to Ibiza timed to the fair, said the appeal lies in its smaller, more personal setting. He contrasted that with what he called the art world’s increasingly corporate mood. For dealers, the format encourages repeat encounters over several days — by the hotel pool, in transit to off-site art stops, or on the dance floor.
Curator Saša Bogojev is trying to make the fair’s intimacy work harder. In past years, CAN often leaned toward bright, uncomplicated work that suited Ibiza’s beachside reputation. This time, Bogojev pushed exhibitors to present more ambitious booths and to avoid the most obvious pieces aimed at second homes. The result was a fair that still felt relaxed, but with sharper curatorial intent.
The sales picture reflected that balance. Most works were priced below €20,000 ($22,790), yet several galleries reported healthy activity across a wide range. Gathering, with spaces in London and Ibiza, showed Stefan Brüggemann works priced up to $165,000 ($188,000) and sold a painting by Natalia Gonzalez Martin. Veta, from Madrid, sold more than half its booth by the second day, including a large painting priced at €16,500 ($18,800) that went to a New York collector. La Bibi, founded in Mallorca in 2021, reported five sales between €1,200 ($1,370) and €11,000 ($12,530), while Verve of São Paulo sold four works from a solo presentation by Francisco Hurtz to a private museum in Andorra on the first day, followed by two more sales to collectors in Madrid and Belgium.
With roughly two-thirds of exhibitors showing for the first time, CAN is emerging as a boutique fair with a distinct proposition: less pressure, more proximity, and enough commercial momentum to keep galleries returning. In a crowded fair calendar, that combination may be its most persuasive asset.
