In examining the historical evolution of the art fair, this paper will attempt to answer three questions: how has the structure of the network contributed to the rise of the art fair despite many historical transformations?; what have been the core institutional features of the art fair as network over time?; and to what extent is has the contemporary art fair implemented the these previous develop- ments and thereby enabled its current success? In seeking answers to these ques- tions, this paper does not simply aim to extend knowledge of the art fair, but also to reconstruct the selective nature of its evolution, to show how changes in socie- tal structure have favoured and fostered new features of the art fair, and to recog- nize that the historical evolution has resulted in a differentiation of different types of art fairs (e.g., mission art fairs, niche art fairs, peripheral art fairs).