Story Archive
FIVE ART FAIRS
Art Basel
www.artbasel.com
Basel, 10 – 14 June 2009
According to Sydney gallerist Vasili Kaliman, Art Basel is “probably the most vibrant art fair in the world, where one can see a sense of what’s happening today – a concise overview of the commercial gallery sector globally all under one roof.”
What this means, however, is that it is “not necessarily the best of what’s happening in art, but of the commercial sector,” he says. Nonetheless, “if you want to see the very best art that’s available for sale, then Art Basel’s the place to see it.” And as an added bonus, “it’s also fantastic for people watching – there’s some of the world’s most wealthy people gathered there.”
The 40th edition of the fair will feature artwork from across all five continents, represented by more than 300 galleries and hand-picked by the international selection committee. This helps to ensure that the fair remains perhaps the most critically important one on the international circuit.
The show is divided into sections that reflect the diversity of work of the more than 2000 artists shown – from Modern masters to the latest emerging practitioners – which makes navigating the enormous space easy for the uninitiated visitor.
Satellite exhibitions and events are also worth a visit as well as the expert panel discussions, artist talks and book signings, a curated program of short films by artists and staged performance works all open to collectors to attend.
Collectors should be aware however that while the fair emphasises its commitment to showing the work of new and emerging artists, The New York Times reported after Art Basel 2008 that it primarily featured “examples of new works by the already-hot”. And at the other end of the market, “there are fewer showstoppers than usual, in part because such multimillion dollar works are getting harder to find,” according to the newspaper.
Frieze Art Fair
www.friezeartfair.com
London, 15 – 18 October 2009
While Frieze may be relatively new by art fair standards, it is already regarded as the bellwether of the UK art market. The tension in the air was palpable prior to the 2008 Frieze Art Fair as the repercussions of global financial market meltdowns were beginning to be felt and as Adrian Searle in the UK’s Guardian newspaper put it: “There is an edge of fear at Frieze as the doors open for business. Would anyone come? Would they bring any money?”
By the end of the first day spasmodic sales were being recorded but, far more tellingly, rumours persisted that significant numbers of the collectors in attendance were looking, not buying. As the global economic crisis may worsen, this could prove beneficial to collectors determined to buy work at this year’s Frieze fair.
Despite the pessimism around the 2008 exhibition, it was a success in terms of numbers. Over 150 galleries participated from 27 countries and there was a full program of activities available to collectors, which will continue again this year. These include site-specific artist commissions, and a daily program of keynote lectures, panel debates and discussions led by influential artists and theorists, which included Yoko Ono last year, as well as a film section.
The strength of Frieze from a collector’s point of view is its concentration on hot new contemporary art. Unlike many other fairs, Frieze is dedicated solely to selling new art and many dealers who participate are known for representing leading-edge artists.
However, despite attempts to maintain a buoyant front, the reality of this year’s fair was disappointing. Attendances were down, sales were spasmodic and considerable numbers of prominent collectors were conspicuous by their absence. This may be bad for dealers but makes Frieze worth a look for collectors serious about buying the latest the art world has to offer.
Art HK09
www.hongkongartfair.com
Hong Kong, 14 – 17 May 2009
In the fast growing Asian region, many fairs have been established over the last few years. But the quality of some is dubious, so collectors need to be discriminating about fairs in this region. The proliferation of new fairs in Asia means that it’s particularly important to speak with other collectors and dealers to ensure there will be good quality works available for sale at whichever Asian fair you choose to visit.
One fair that should be worth attending is the Hong Kong International Art Fair (Art HK09). With the success of the inaugural fair in 2008, organisers appear well placed to achieve their aim of making the event a leading art fair in Asia able to attract prestige exhibitors from all over the world. Attendances were good for a first time fair with nearly 20,000 people
passing through.
Hong Kong is well placed now in the international art scene as the world’s major international auction houses are already located on the island and, as Director Magnus Renfrew points out: “Hong Kong is the third largest art market in the world by auction turnover after New York and London.” The absence of sales tax on artwork in Hong Kong offers another incentive to collectors.
Collectors specifically interested in Asian art should be aware that the fair is quite deliberately internationalist: galleries from over 20 countries participated last year but they included major players from China, Korea and Japan, as well as Hong Kong. As Elaine Ng, editor Art Asia Pacific said: “Art HK08 has decidedly taken an international stance and I think that is its identity,” something that differentiates it from “an art fair in Singapore or Taipei, where you don’t really have the flow of people passing through. Regionally, this fair is probably among the best.”
Art Dubai
www.artdubai.a
Dubai, 18 – 21 March 2009
Tim Olsen of Tim Olsen Gallery in Sydney was considering showing at this international fair this year but has since changed his mind. “I’ve heard the Middle East has been not immune to the global economic downturn”, he says, citing one of the reasons he has decided not to go. “And a friend of mine who owns a gallery in Hong Kong didn’t think it was worth me going as the Arab is quite a parochial collector.”
This may not bode well for commercial dealers but collectors may find a local bargain if Olsen’s information is correct.
Certainly Art Dubai is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and this year will award the world’s richest art prize during the fair.
The main feature of this international exhibition, which makes it unique for the collector, is its emphasis on showing artists from North Africa and South Asia as well as the Middle East – regions generally underrepresented in the Western art market.
Following its inauguration in 2007, it has exhibited 68 galleries representing more than 500 artists from over 30 countries at the event, including Australia. In terms of an Australian contingent, this magazine as well as Sydney commercial gallery Breenspace are planning to have stands this year.
The organisers confidently predict exhibitor numbers will be surpassed this year, as well as attendance levels which were at 12,000 last year – a lot less than some of the better known international art fairs. But smaller visitor numbers will make this fair easier for the collector to negotiate than the better known ones on the art fair calendar, allowing visitors the space to view more work on display. Moreover, Art Dubai offers visitors a rare opportunity to view art from unlikely places that rarely gets shown in Western countries, particularly Australia.
The Armory Show
www.thearmoryshow.com
New York, 5 – 8 March 2009
Despite negative expectations, The New York Times deemed the 2008 event a resounding success, with writer Roberta Smith effusing: “The Armory show…is in top form.”
Financial market events at the time of the fair had caused considerable anxiety among many of the galleries involved. But on Preview Day, 7500 invited collectors passed through the doors. Over the course of the fair, 52,000 people visited the show. As it was reported in The Art Newspaper: “If the Armory Show was supposed to be the test of how the art market was fairing amid tumultuous financial markets, initial results revealed that the fair more than passed – and exceeded the expectations of many of the more
jittery dealers.”
Confidence was raised by the 2008 result to such an extent that the event scheduled for 2009 has been expanded. For a single admission price, visitors will be entitled to see both the International Fair of New Art on Pier 94 and a new event on Pier 92, The Armory Show – Modern, specialising in exhibitors of “historically significant modern and contemporary art”.
The Armory Show has become popularly known as “Armory Show Week” for good reason, due to the proliferation of associated and satellite events held in the city coinciding with the art fair. These additional events make the trip to New York for the Armory even more worthwhile. For those collectors interested in getting in at the lower end of the market, the satellite shows to visit include: Art Fair Now, aimed at highlighting new and established galleries that exhibit emerging artists; PULSE, which presents leading international galleries and artists, aimed at showcasing the latest movements in contemporary art; as well as the New York version of Miami’s SCOPE fair, to be held at the Lincoln Centre.
By Carrie Miller