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Let’s Talk Melbourne Art Fair

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

The Melbourne Art Fair seems like a massive undertaking – can you give us an idea of just how big the event is?
Melbourne Art Fair will present over 80 premier galleries from all states and territories of Australia as well as from Auckland, Wellington, Beijing, Osaka, Seoul, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi, Lucerne, Cologne, Frankfurt and Dublin.
Melbourne Art Fair is presented by Melbourne Art Fair Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation established to promote contemporary art and the ethical representation of living artists. As such, the Foundation creates additional opportunities for independent curators and artists as part of the Project Room program. The program this year will feature 12 Project Rooms sites within the Royal Exhibition Building as well as on the Museum forecourt and an offsite space at Hotel Sofitel Melbourne. Melbourne Art Fair Foundation has also commissioned two prominent Australian artists to create a large-scale work for Melbourne Art Fair 2008 which will later be gifted to two Australian public art museums. This year will be our largest event to date, with an extended program featuring the Melbourne Art Fair Lecture at BMW Edge and Forums at National Gallery of Victoria International.

Traditionally the Melbourne Art Fair has been famous for showcasing artists who are on their way to becoming the ‘next big thing’ – what are some of the exciting trends emerging in the art scene that we’re likely to see?
Melbourne Art Fair features artwork by over 900 contemporary artists in all media including painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography to digital media and video; the immense variety of work is a real strength. Melbourne Art Fair Foundation is delighted to have chosen two extraordinary Australian artists, David Griggs and Peter Hennessey to create the Artist Commissions. Griggs has created a large-scale circus tent combining painting, film and performance while Hennessey has created a precise model of a Hummer vehicle. The two works form critical observations of contemporary life, the political and social climate in which we live. The variety in these two Commissions alone is testament to the breadth of contemporary art practice today.

Do you need to know a lot about art to attend the Melbourne Art Fair?
Melbourne Art Fair is for casual art fans, serious art collectors or fine arts students and is a fun day out for families. If you’d like to learn more, Guided Tours are conducted by Artbank hourly from 12noon and are free upon entry to the Fair. Artbank, the Australian Governments art rental initiative, is one of the largest buyers of contemporary Australian art.

What are some of the things we can do at the Melbourne Art Fair?
Melbourne Art Fair 2008 Lecture:  The Lecture will be presented by the 2010 Artistic Director of the Biennale of Sydney.
Monday 28 July
BMW Edge, Federation Square
Presented by Melbourne Art Fair Foundation, the City of Melbourne’s Melbourne Conversations Program and Monash University’s 50th Anniversary Public Lecture Series.
6pm. Free event.

Melbourne Art Fair 2008 Forums
Wednesday 30 July
National Gallery of Victoria International
180 St Kilda Road Melbourne
12.30 – 5pm. Free event
Bookings essential Tel 03 8662 1555
For all program details visit www.melbourneartfair.com

Melbourne Art Fair Vernissage
Opening preview party
Wednesday 30 July
7 – 10.30pm. Tickets $150
Bookings essential Tel 03 9417 5871

Melbourne Art Fair Public Days
Thursday 31 July – Sunday 3 August
From 11am daily. Tickets at the Door.
Adult $24, Concession $16, Children 12 and under free.

What kind of price range are we talking to purchase art?
Prices start from around $500 for works on paper.

Cath Pope, Managing Editor, Citysearch

Melbourne Art Fair Opens in Style: Melbourne Art Fair 2008 opened on Wednesday evening (July 30) wowing hordes of hip and happening art lovers with a dazzling array of contemporary art on exhibition from some of the hottest artists on the planet.