art fair

Ahron Weiner on the Verge: Bringing "The Flood" to Brooklyn

Filed under: Art

There were breaks in the rain, but the day ended with small rivers flowing through the gutters in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood. It was the last day of Armory week in New York City, an event consisting of art fairs all over the city, ranging from colossal reputations and incredible valuations to emerging artists eager for their first tastes of success and notoriety. I was on my way to the Verge show, itself spread out over several locations.

If you want to find something unique or unusual, Verge is the place to go. You'll have to sift through a lot of good efforts (as opposed to successful results), but the one piece that blows your mind is worth it. I found it at 20 Jay Street: "The Flood," by Ahron Weiner.

There is nothing conventional about Weiner's photography, except, perhaps, for the fact that he uses a camera. After that, he's truly exploring new territory. "The Flood" is part of a larger effort that tells the stories of the Old Testament through rehabilitated advertising images.
Okay, that's a lot to digest. So, let's step through the concept.

If you ever see a tall (by my standards, at least) man with long blond hair chipping through the advertising posters on Manhattan scaffolds, there's a good chance it's Weiner. These posters are slapped up all over the city, with the new simply covering up the old ... and so on. It's endless. Weiner goes in the opposite direction. He peels away at the layers, looking for a story to emerge. Starting with what strikes him as an interesting advertisement, he pulls to see what lies beneath.

Gallery: "Cycle of Violence" at the DUMBO Arts Festival

Tags: Art Exhibition, art fair, art fairs, Art Gallery, art show, artist, Artists, brooklyn, new york, new york city

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Big Deals and Big Win at the Armory

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

Think of the Armory Show on Piers 92 and 94 in New York as the momentary center of the art fair universe with satellite shows orbiting around it. The show was a lot of work - some 274 galleries from 31 countries competing for attention.

Tags: Alexander Gorlizki, armory, armory show, art fair, art fairs, new york art fair, New York Art Fair 2011, The Armory Show

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The Best of the PULSE Art Fair

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

The PULSE New York fair has it all --- sculpture, photography, mixed-media, painting. The layout this year with 63 booths is much more manageable territory at the Metropolitan Pavilion than at the other fairs dominating Manhattan this week. In fact, PULSE is the one fair not to miss. It is friendly, not at all imposing, a nice mix of hedge-fund deep pockets and young people, some even changing babies on cardboard arty currogated stools. Most important though is that the works are fresh and new. There's lots to buy at a wide range of prices and people on opening day were not hesitating to add to their collections.

Tags: art fair, art fairs, emerging artists, mixed-media artists, NewPhotography, nyartfairs, young collectors

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Naples, Florida Gets New Art Fair

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

Each year we mention Naples, Florida for its annual luxury wine festival but the tony warm weather enclave will have a new annual event to draw the rich, the first Naples Premier Art and Antique Fair, which takes place from Feb. 24 to March 1 at the Naples International Pavilion. The event is being put on by David and Lee Ann Lester, founders of International Fine Art Expositions which also organizes the Miami International Art Fair, Art Palm Beach, American International Fine Art Fair, The London International Fine Art Fair and SeaFair – the floating art fair.

The new fair brings over 60 art, antique, and jewelry dealers to Southwest Florida in a newly renovated 55,000 square foot facility. The fair features old master paintings, impressionist paintings, modern and contemporary art and sculpture, furniture, decorative arts, silver, ancient arts, haute couture and period jewelry, and rare books. Luxury jeweler Graff will be showcasing some of its fine diamond and colored gemstone jewelry. A painting by Renoir will also be on display and a historically significant portrait of President Abraham Lincoln will be presented by the 19th Century Shop.

Tags: antique fair, antiques roadshow, art fair, art fairs, naples, naples art and antique fair, naples florida

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ArtWeLove: A Great First Step for Aspiring Art Collectors

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

When I first started writing about the art market, in the white-hot auction climate of the summer of 2007, I had the chance to interview Prof. Michael Moses of NYU. Co-founder of the Mei-Moses Index used to gauge the direction of art prices, he's pretty much the de facto source for issues at the intersection of art and investing. I'll never forget the advice he offered to my readers: start with prints of your favorite pieces, and as you can afford to, replace them with the real thing.

This is the exact concept I saw in action when I stopped by the ArtWeLove booth at the Affordable Art Fair to visit company founder Laurence Lafforgue.

Art We Love focuses on making works by high-caliber artists available to entry-level collectors. The archival pigment prints offered by the company are limited-edition reproductions of museum-caliber pieces from well-known artists who have agreed to work with Lafforgue to make the art luxury attainable to a broader constituency.

Tags: affordable art, affordable art fair, affordable artwork, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art exhibit, Art Exhibition, art exhibits, art fair, art market, art show, artist, Artists

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"Earth Leak": Art Brings Disaster to Manhattan

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

As I walked the aisles of New York's Affordable Art Fair this past weekend, hoping to meet artists who'll someday become the mainstays of the auction scene, a powerful installation stopped me dead in my tracks. Black paint dripped from a white orb, which was suspended above a pile of once-white everyday household items. A milk carton and shoe, among other things, slowly turned black, as did the map of the world upon which they rested. An entanglement of pipes spread out from the dirtying action, and a quiet man sat on the floor beneath one of them, looking content and relaxed.

So, I had to interrupt his piece.

This is how I met Kamol Akhunov, the artist responsible for "Earth Leak". Inspired by the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Akhunov's installation drives home the message that a disaster thousands of miles away can affect our daily lives, as suggested by the black paint falling upon the pile of household goods, as well as the map beneath them.

Gallery: Earth Leak at the Affordable Art Fair

Artist Kamol Akhumov with Earth Leak at the Affordable Art Fair

Tags: affordable art, affordable art fair, affordable artwork, art exhibit, Art Exhibition, art exhibits, art fair, art show, artist, Artists, artwork, gulf of mexico, Gulf of Mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Gulf of Mexico spill, manhattan, new york, new york city, oil, oil spill

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Five Ways to Protect Your Purchases at New York's Affordable Art Fair

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The Affordable Art Fair starts on September 30, 2010, and it comes with plenty of opportunities to pick up pieces by emerging artists. Featuring works priced from $100 to $10,000, the right choices can turn into astounding art investments down the road. While collectors are drawn to the pieces themselves first, it's hard to overlook the financial appreciation that can occur, especially as the art market claws its way back from financial crisis lows.

What happens if your artwork is damaged? Collectors don't always spend enough time thinking about the financial side of their holdings, and art insurance can be an afterthought. So, it might not be a bad idea to invest a little in protecting your work.

"After taking the time to evaluate a work of art, but before making a purchase, it is important that collectors consider how they are going to protect their investment," said Andrew Gristina, Fine Art Specialist, Travelers Inland Marine. "Most people buy art because of the aesthetic beauty, however, it's also a financial investment, which is why insurance coverage and proper handling should be a consideration with each purchase."

Here are three five steps you can take to protect what you pick up at the Affordable Art Fair (or anywhere else):

Tags: affordable art, affordable art fair, affordable artwork, art, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art fair, art work, artist, Artists, awards-main, decor-pedia, emerging artists, financial crisis, insurance, luxist-awards, main-pedia, manhattan, new york, new york city

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Cycles of Violence: Standout at DUMBO Arts Festival

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

I trekked across the river this past weekend to check out the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. A neighborhood known for its arts scene could not have been saddled with greater expectations. Let's face it: Manhattan has become consumed by the art market , and DUMBO is perceived as the home of raw art talent. Well, the festival itself wasn't mind-blowing, but the first display I saw caught my attention and made the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge worth it. In fact, I would have walked all the way from the Upper West Side for the first piece I saw.

As I approached the DUMBO Arts Festival, the first thing I saw was on Adams Street. In fairness, I knew about this piece in advance, but I didn't realize it would be my entry into the festival – and become the benchmark by which I would judge all that followed.

"Cycles of Violence," by Ahron Weiner, could be missed easily if you weren't looking for it. New Yorkers familiar with posters on scaffolding all over the city could tune it out all too easily. In this case, that would mean missing an impressive exhibition – of the sort that can shape your perspective on public art.

Gallery: "Cycle of Violence" at the DUMBO Arts Festival

Tags: art, art fair, art festivals, artist, brooklyn, brooklyn bridge, Dumbo, Public art

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VIP Art Fair Brings The Art Fair Experience Online

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

Can the art fair experience be replicated online? VIP Art Fair aims to try when in launches a special week-long art event January 22 through 30. They've got some big names in on the deal, founding galleries include Gagosian Gallery, David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth and White Cube.

In order to make the experience work, the art has to be as close as possible to the real experience. The VIP Art Fair will use a multimedia approach including the ability to zoom in on the art, get multiple views from different angles and watch videos. Galleries will provide details on the artworks and artists including films, essays and interviews. Dealers will hold conversations with collectors via instant messaging, Skype, and telephone to discuss works on offer in the virtual booth and can meet with clients in virtual private rooms. Browsing the Fair is free of charge but to access interactive capabilities, visitors must have a VIP Ticket, which on January 22 and 23 will cost $100 and thereafter will cost $20.

"For anyone passionate about art, the Fair is a transformative experience: it delivers all the excitement of world-class art fairs with the convenience and personalization of the Internet," said James Cohan, co-founder of VIP Art Fair in collaboration with Jane Cohan, Jonas Almgren and Alessandra Almgren. "We've invited the most prestigious international galleries, both established and emerging, to come together for an online event, creating a virtual community that will allow collectors, curators and the public to access distinguished galleries and learn about their artists, all with unparalleled ease and absolute discretion."

Tags: art, art fair, Gagosian Gallery, hauser and wirth, vip art fair, white cube

Masterpiece London Sees Strong Sales

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

London's Masterpiece London Art Fair is running in London until June 29 and there have already been some impressive sales. On the first day Masterpiece Founding Partner, Harry Apter sold Apter-Fredericks' top masterpiece, a Carlton House Boulle-inlaid table originally designed for George, The Prince of Wales and The Prince Regent. It sold for over £500,000 within just an hour of the doors opening on Preview Day.

Bernard Shapero Rare Books sold 12 of their rare first edition maps during the first morning of Masterpiece and reported that Giorgio Armani and Mick Jagger amongst others stopped by to look. A rare John Adams Bowles's Map of England & Wales sold for a six figure sum.

Antique jewelry seller Sandra Cronan, whose jade junk brooch is shown at right, said that: "Masterpiece London is better than we could have possibly expected – it's like a phoenix rising from the ashes." The antiques show gathers objects from around the world with a total value of over £1 billion. Admission to the fair is £20.

Tags: antiques fair, art fair, Masterpiece London

Masterpiece London, A Summer Spectacle Of Art And Antiques

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Events, Art

Last year we learned that London's 75-year-old Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair was no more. Antiques show Masterpiece Fair 2010 London provides a new place to appreciate art and antiques. The fair will take place at the former Chelsea Barracks from June 24-29 2010 and combines fine and decorative art with premium collectors' items. Joining the established founders of Mallett, Ronald Phillips, Apter-Fredericks and Asprey will be 113 exhibitors from around the world, including S.J. Phillips, Linley, Agnew's, Tomasso Brothers, Dickinson, Holland & Holland, Louis XIII and Andrew Bruce & Bordeaux Index.

London's Le Caprice will have a full restaurant on site. Fiskens will be exhibiting an Aston Martin DB4 GT and Coys is offering a £3 million 1932 Bugatti. Jewels and vintage watches, rare books as well as a wide selection of paintings will also be on display.

Thomas Woodham-Smith, Chairman of Masterpiece London, comments: "As June approaches, we are delighted to divulge some of the key highlights that will make Masterpiece London such an exciting and innovative event. Whether you are an established collector or just have an eye for the aesthetic, the Fair will offer an unrivalled array of pieces united by an excellence which lies at the very heart of Masterpiece London."

Check out some of the offerings after the jump.

[via Art Fix Daily]

Tags: antique fair, antique furniture, antiques, antiques fair, art fair, london fashion week

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SOFA New York Highlights Contemporary Decorative Arts

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art

SOFA New York sounds like it might be a showcase of comfy couches but SOFA actually stands for the Sculptural Objects Functional Art Fair which opens April 16 at Park Avenue Armory. The four-day event begins with an evening preview on April 15. The show features 60 galleries from the United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Turkey, Japan, and Brazil showcasing work from artists and designers around the globe.

The show turns traditional decorative arts on an edge embracing both purely sculptural forms and conceptual meanings, but also new materials and processes. There are pieces of art glass, silver, ceramics, fiber, metal, wood, as well as modern unconventional materials from high-tech polymers to recycled rubber. This is the place to see the latest creations in contemporary decorative arts and snap up work from rising stars.

Framing the Armory's entrance will be an installation created from discarded and deconstructed encyclopedias by Rhode Island-based artist Wendy Wahl. Tickets to the opening night are $100. General admission to the show is $25 per day or $40 for a four-day pass, both include a catalog.

Shown above is Michael Eden's A Rebours, 2009. Check out more dealer highlights in the gallery below.

Gallery: Exhibits From SOFA New York

Tags: art fair, arts fair new york, arts fair new york city, contemporary art fair, decorative arts fair, sculpural objects functional art fair, sofa new york

The Big Deals TEFAF Didn't Mention

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

You know how it is in the art scene: big checks, big names and big egos like to stay under the radar. Anonymity is the norm, of course, and the buyers of Rothkos and Basquiats don't like to see their names in press releases. Yet, a look under the covers of the TEFAF Maasricht art fair shows that some pretty important pieces moved for some rather hefty amounts. The billionaires came out to play, and dealer and galleries were more than ready to accommodate.

Over 10-days, $2.7 billion of inventory was offered t dealers and museums from around the world. Prices edged higher thanks to a recovering art market, and impressive pieces found new homes. Jean-Michel's Basquiat's "Busted Atlas 2" was picked up for $2.4 million by a German collector, sold by Van de Weghe Fine Art, a gallery in New York.

Nonetheless, it's not like the art bubble. David Leiber, of New York's Sperone Westwater gallery, tells Bloomberg News, "Collectors are adjusting to the new values. We have to charge these prices because we can't replace these works." He adds, "There may be some people who went a little overboard at the auctions," a sentiment echoed by Paolo Vedovi of Galerie Odermatt-Vedovi. Vedovi observes, "Auctions are almost a separate market," continuing, "We don't see many of those people. Art fairs aren't as spontaneous. Buyers are cautious and they need to think."

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Tags: art collecting, art collection, art collector, art dealer, art fair, art galleries, Art Gallery, art market, basquiat, galleries, gallery, maastricht, rothko, tefaf

TEFAF Boasts of Art Market Recovery

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Plenty of art moved at TEFAF Maastricht 2010, and collectors were willing to deal with the prices ... and enjoy their stays in style. According to a statement by TEFAF, many international collectors took private jets to Maastricht/Aachen Airport, where 171 private aircraft landed during the fair. Eighty-two of them touched down in time for the Private View on March 11, 2010. U.S. collectors were back in the game, and the Europeans amped up the intensity, too.

TEFAF attracted 263 dealers and representatives from more than 150 museums from more than 17 countries, which contributed to the robust marketplace (along with the change in global economic circumstances , of course). TEFAF on Paper, a new section at the fair, featured a wide range of prints, drawings and photographs, among others. Parisian dealer Tanakaya moved two early prints, very rare, by Hashiguchi Goyô, entitled Kami sukero Onna, 1921 and Keshô no Onna, 1918. They sold for €32,000 and €30,000 respectively.

Over in the antiquities section, dealer Rupert Wace of London moved an Egyptian Wood Mummy Mask at an asking price of €150,000 (final price not announced) to a private collector. He also sold a Roman bronze statuette of Aphrodite wearing a silver diadem. The piece was from the first century and is headed for a private museum in France.

Tags: art collecting, art collection, art collector, art fair, art galleries, Art Gallery, art market, kandinsky, maastricht, private jets, tefaf

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Tefaf Dealers Pricing Art Aggressively

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The action in Maastricht is expected to be hot. Two hundred sixty-three dealers will descend upon the Dutch city, bringing art inventory worth $2.7 billion to the world's largest art and antiques fair, Tefaf. Fingers are crossed that billion-dollar collectors will come out to play. The market has turned the corner, but the community mains reluctant to get its collective hopes up.

For the art market, this is the first chance to see how high demand for art is outside the auction houses. Private deals don't offer the transparency of the gavel scene, but the transactions can be far more interesting. By the end of Tefaf, we'll know just how deep the art market recovery is running. VIP guests will be allowed to visit tomorrow, ahead of the great unwashed.

The largest group of dealers at Tefaf this year will be those representing pre-20th century pictures, with more than 70 exhibitors. Sandro Botticelli's "Madonna and Child with the Infant Sant John," reaching back to the late fifteenth century, will be available for $15 million by Dickinson of London. Dickinson is also showing Paul Gauguin's "Deux Femmes," with a price tag of $24.4 million. Both are being sold by private collectors.

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Tags: art collecting, art collection, art collector, art dealer, art fair, art market, maastricht, Netherlands, tefaf