MELBOURNE, AU - Melbourne Art Fair, Australia’s premier international visual arts event returns to the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, Melbourne from 30 July – 3 August 2008. Over 3,000 contemporary artworks including Paintings, Works on Paper, Sculpture, Photography to Digital Media and Video, will be showcased under one roof at the 11th Biennial Melbourne Art Fair 2008.
More than 900 artists will be represented by over 80 leading national and international galleries from all states and territories of Australia; as well as from New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Switzerland, Germany and Ireland during the 4-day event.
Rarely is such a diverse collection of artists from so many countries represented under one roof. Melbourne Art Fair offers artists and galleries alike the opportunity to exhibit work on a significantly larger scale than the gallery setting; and in turn gives the public a fantastic chance to view and purchase quality artwork by some of the best Australian and international emerging and well-known artists working today.
One of the highlights of Melbourne Art Fair is the commissioned works, which are positioned within the Royal Exhibition Building and gifted to an Australian institution at the conclusion of the Fair. In 2008 two prominent Australian artists have been commissioned to realize large-scale works that will be unveiled during the 4-day event. 2006 saw contemporary New Zealand artist, Michael Parekowhai create Cosmo, a monumental inflated rabbit sculpture standing 8m high x 5m wide, later gifted to the National Gallery of Victoria.
View of Rabbit Sculpture at the Melbourne Art Fair in 2006 Exhibiting artists include: Brook Andrew (Aust), James Angus (Aust), Billy Apple (NZ), Lyndall Brown & Charles Green (Aust), Daniel Buren (France), Ian Burns (Aust), Martin Creed (UK), Li Dafang (China), Hayden Fowler (NZ), David Griggs (Aust), Claire Healy & Sean Cordeiro (Aust), David Hookey (Aust), Callum Innes (Scotland), Silvana & Gabriella Mangano (Aust), Samuel Namunidja (Aust), Tomoko Sawada (Japan), Julie Rrap (Aust), Sally Smart (Aust), Louise Weaver (Aust), Ai Weiwei (China).
The Project Rooms include: Damiano Bertoli (Aust), Jonas Dahlberg (Sweden) and Pat Foster and Jen Berean (Aust) curated by Mark Feary; Centre of Contemporary Photography Melbourne; Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces; Joint Hassles; Next Wave Festival, The South Project; Kyungah Ham (South Korea); and, Anne Zahalka (Aust) at Sofitel Melbourne.
All components of Melbourne Art Fair directly benefit the work of living artists. Over it’s 20-year history, the Fair has generated a wealth of national and international commercial and critical attention for artists and galleries. The 2006 Fair was attended by over 26,000 people and provided living artists with over AUD $6M from sales. Presented by the Melbourne Art Fair Foundation – a not-for-profit organisation with its primary goal being the promotion of contemporary art, the ethical representation of living artists and raising awareness of artists working today– the Melbourne Art Fair is a breakeven event that takes no revenue from the sale of artworks.
Source: Art Knowledge News
1 comment:
An amazing us of color (very rich) and movement. I felt like the piece shown was animated with a moving sky and a shifting building. I'm sure it makes for a great exhibit.
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