Art15 Launches Their Third Fair At London’s Olympia

Art15

Art15, which opens in London today for its third edition, was set up by two of the original founders of ART HK: Hong Kong International Art Fair, Tim Etchells and Sandy Angus. The latest edition further cements its position as a global art fair with a focused presentation of 134 international galleries from 41 countries. 

Modern and contemporary artwork will be displayed from established and emerging galleries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and America. As the Fair moves into its third edition, there is an increased emphasis on curatorial rigour, with a reduced number of participants presenting more focused installations. This year’s Fair sees the highest number of solo artist presentations to date with new exhibitors ARNDT (Berlin/Singapore) showcasing the Filipino painter Rodel Tapaya; 10 Chancery Lane (Hong Kong), who are dedicating their space to Huang Rui, a Chinese artist known for his social and cultural criticism; Australian artist Kate Shaw will be creating work on site at Fehily Contemporary’s stand (Melbourne); Zipper Galleria (São Paolo) present one of Brazil’s rising stars James Kudo; Sulger-Buel Lovell (Cape Town/London) showcase the work of emerging sculptor Isabelle Grobler; and the prominent British painter Stella Vine presents new work at COB Gallery (London). Over half the galleries attending Art15 have spaces outside of Europe, with several spanning multiple cities. There is a greater presence of Modern art, particularly Italian Modernism as seen in a presentation from new exhibitor, Switzerland’s Cortesi Gallery. 

Contemporary photography remains a core component for Art15 with six solo photography displays including Cristina de Middel at La New Galeria, Spain. The Fair also continues to explore new scenes within the ever-burgeoning Asian market. In response to an increased presence from Taiwanese collectors, this year nine galleries from Taiwan are participating including Lin & Lin Gallery, AKI Gallery and Yiri Arts. Art15 continues its commitment to providing young galleries with a strong platform in London with the Emerge and London First sections. Spanning 19 countries, each section presents 14 exhibitors offering a truly global view of the emerging international gallery scene.

Philip Dodd, Chair of Made in China and Chair of Art15’s Advisory Board said “The art world is now flat – with Asia as important as Europe. To its great credit, Art15 recognises this which is what makes it such a good complement to the Global Private Museum Summit, where owners from China sit next to ones from the US, ones from Europe next to Middle-Eastern ones.” Art15 has an extensive public programme again this year, with a dedicated series of talks integrating into the Fair’s curatorial initiatives. These include Freedom Audit, an exhibition curated by Kathleen Soriano, independent curator and former Director of Exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts. The exhibition is a curatorial enquiry considering how artists from across the globe navigate the multifarious boundaries of sexual freedoms, political freedoms and freedom of speech

Art15, will be hosting In Conversation events featuring members of the Fair’s international Selection Committee from key institutions in Asia, Europe and the USA. Discussing ‘The Global Art World: Who is Collecting What’ the panel was chaired by Philip Dodd, with speakers Tim Marlow, Director of Artistic Programmes, Royal Academy of Arts, London; Sunhee Kim, Director and Curator, Daegu Art Museum, South Korea and Christopher Phillips, Curator, the International Center of Photography, New York. Panellists were introduced by Fair Director Kate Bryan, who joined the Fair at the end of last year from the Fine Art Society where she was Director of Contemporary Art and was the youngest person to be appointed to their Board of Directors. A contributor to the BBC’s Newsnight and the Culture Show Kate Bryan’s global view, in-depth knowledge and commercial expertise continues to strengthen Art15’s global stance. The event was hosted at Delfina Foundation, London as part of their ongoing partnership with Art15. Art15 are pleased to announce two major curatorial projects to be presented at the Fair, including Freedom Audit, an exhibition curated by Kathleen Soriano, independent curator and former Director of Exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts. Recent world events have challenged notions of freedom in the broadest sense and have led us to question the boundaries of taste, of mutual respect and of tolerance. With this concern in mind, Soriano will conduct a curatorial enquiry into the ways in which artists, from across the globe and from a wide-range of cultures, are negotiating a path through these issues and making sense of the politics surrounding them. The exhibition will be presented at Olympia, London during the run of the Fair and will be complemented by a corresponding programme of events. 

The second curatorial initiative will be a significant new digital commission curated by Valentina Fois, founder of La Scatola Gallery, London. Entitled #IRL the commission will invite artists Emilie Gervais (Canada) and Sara Ludy (USA) to work from the Art15 site at Olympia, London. #IRL is an open conversation between Gervais and Ludy through the technology they use to create art, physical sites, the environment and the public. Without any of these elements there would be no in-real-life (#IRL) experience. The artists will be in constant flow, moving without a precise destination and deciding the location for the piece at random. Gallery stands, cafes, lounges, corridors or communal resting spaces will all become the original sites for the work. The ‘in-real-life’ conversation between Gervais and Ludy can be iconographically compared with a freestyle rap battle, as the artists will perform without a previously produced script. More to follow….

Art15, will take place at Olympia in West London from 21-23 May 2015 (VIP Preview: Wednesday 20 May).

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