A new breed of art fair is about to hit the British capital. Just one month after Frieze, the Other Art Fair‘s first edition will take over the Bargehouse on London’s Southbank. Instead of the traditional gathering of art dealers, the new venture is geared exclusively towards contemporary artists not represented by galleries. “The country is full of amazing artists,” fair director Ryan Stanier told ARTINFO UK. “If they are not with a gallery, it makes it very difficult for them to showcase their work. We wanted to produce an art fair for these artists.”
“Artist-oriented fair,” in this case, doesn’t mean free-for-all. “We didn’t really advertise the application process,” said Stanier (although an application form was available on the fair’s website). Over the last six months, TOAF’s team scoured Britain’s studios and graduate shows to pre-select 400 unrepresented artists, 200 of which were presented to the fair’s selection committee. The committee, including artist Charming Baker, Sotheby’s Institute programme director Anthony Downey, and BALTIC director Godfrey Worsdale, whittled the list down to 100 names. The accent here is put on curatorial selectivity.
But with no galleries to support them, artists are the ones who will foot the stand fee, which ranges from £690 ($1,098) for three square meters (32.2 square feet) of white wall to £1,450 ($2,308) for seven square meters (75.3 square feet). “I understand that it’s a lot of money,” said Stanier. “But as a company we don’t make money out of the stand cost. We actually subsidise the rate. As an artist, if you are showing with a gallery, you are typically losing 50 percent of the value of the piece. With us, the artist is receiving 100 percent.”
The Other Art Fair caters to artist-entrepreneurs ready to be dealer and promoter of their own production — something unrepresented artists have to do, said Stanier, if they want to make money out of their work. The Other Art Fair also sees itself as a stepping stone for artists to get into the mainstream art market. ”As much as it is an opportunity for artists to sell their work directly to members of the public,” said Stanier, “it’s also an opportunity for them to meet galleries. What we are trying to do is to create a fertile breeding ground for galleries to discover new artists.”
While artists tend to avoid hanging out at mainstream art fairs, often feeling that they have little to do with that part of the business, the Other Art Fair guarantees a maximum level of engagement from the exhibiting artists. Prospective buyers are actively encouraged to discuss the works on display, and even to negotiate prices. “The artist will receive 100 percent from the sale of their work,” would-be collectors are reminded in the Web site’s “Buying Tips” section, “therefore why not make an offer?”
“It’s such an eclectic mix,” fair director Stanier answered when asked about the fair’s highlights. “One of the most challenging things has been trying to get all [the artists'] work to sit next to each other.” However, with artworks starting at less than £1 ($1.5) in artists Jasper Joffe and Harry Pye‘s on-site 99p shop, there will be something for everybody.
The Other Art Fair runs November 24-27.
For a mere $18,000, you’ll get a pair the most expensive pair of flip-flops, designed by artist David Palmer — and 100,000 square feet of Costa Rican rainforest.
America’s oldest art museum will add 8,000 square feet of gallery space and two rooftop decks.
Designed by Pritzker Prize Winning Architect Renzo Piano, the addition will add 70,000 square feet to the museum.
