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Warhol, Knick-Knacks, And Prestige At This Year's American International Fine Art Fair

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The Faberge jewels and gilded frames showcasing Renaissance-era paintings are still intact, but this year's American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF) promises a bit more of a modern spin. 

The prestigious fair returns this weekend to West Palm Beach with more than 45 exhibitors spread throughout 60,000-square-feet of the Palm Beach County Convention Center. The fair, now in its 17th year, is "reinventing itself with a contemporary, high-end emphasis, instead of on the antiques and the Old Masters which used to dominate the fair," according to the Palm Beach Post.

Last year, the fair debuted a revamped layout that incorporated more "modern and contemporary design." The changes were well received and are again in play at the 2013 edition. Newcomers like Gallery Shchukin (based in Moscow and Paris) -- who numbers among the 14 new exhibitors this year -- are representing familiar master painters but also will display contemporary works that reflect newer trends in the art world.

ARTINFO's review of the show reflects the "hybrid of antiques and hipness" that has come to represent the festival, describing the "intertwined sculptural Murano Glass lamp posts of Pieke Bergman's 'Metamorphosis,' brought by Venice's Berengo Studio to serve as centerpieces to the fair" as juxtaposed against 17th century Turkish carpets and a "cubic patinated steel bookshelf" from 2012. 

In addition to numerous works by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and other familiar high-end art festival fare, the AIFAF packs in rare books and manuscripts, one-of-a-kind jewels, and "charming knick-knacks" like silver cigarette boxes and something called the "Gentleman's Companion" (it's a handheld gold gadget similar to a Swiss Army Knife, but with high-end components fit for someone of royal descent).

The fair is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Sunday, February 10. It is located inside the Palm Beach County Convention Centerat 650 Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach. A one-day pass is $20 and a multi-day pass is $25.  

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