London Art Fairs

ANNA TOMLINSON GIVES A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO A RANGE OF ART FAIRS HAPPENING ACROSS THE CAPITAL THIS MONTH

Along with the chilly weather and chai lattes, October has so far offered our city some of the best art fairs to be found in the country, giving us lucky Londoners a glimpse of what is at the forefront of the contemporary art scene. Art fairs are also a great opportunity to see some more accessible and interactive contemporary art, outside the more restrictive boundaries of a gallery or a museum.

FRIEZE

Last week London hosted Frieze, one of the world’s leading art fairs. Every year it takes place down the road in Regents Park. 

This year’s show focused on the interaction between art and viewer, which could be evidently seen in the work of Canadian multimedia artist Jon Rafman. 

Rafman’s works focus on the intersection and connection between humanity and technology, primarily focusing on human desires. His work is presented using an Oculus Rift – a device that has the power to immerse you in a virtual reality. This directly engages the individual within the technological universe, with the feeling of a high-level computer game.

The Frieze features over 160 art galleries, with work from over 1,000 artists that is often sold to renowned art collectors. It is definitely a highlight in the London arts scene each year. 

THE OTHER ART FAIR

The Other Art Fair is an art fair hosted each year by London artists and held in the Old Truman Brewery. It is unique in the way it develops emerging artists and their careers, offering them a platform of support throughout the year. 

This show included an immersive experience: the installation ‘The Green Room’, designed by Rebecca Mason. It was labeled the ‘Neon Health Service Department of Light Therapy’, with its aim being to urge people to confess their innermost thoughts and desires.  

MONIKER ART FAIR

Also in the Old Truman Brewery was the Moniker Art Fair. The Moniker Art Fair focuses on artworks influenced by urban landscapes. It featured, for example, a 50-foot interactive installation called ‘The Renaissance is Now‘.  This installation worked to show another reality, another financial system based on the digital currency, Bitcoin. Interestingly, you were also able to buy tickets to the entire Art Fair using Bitcoin. 

SUNDAY ART FAIR

Supporting more emerging artists, the Sunday Art Fair originally began in Berlin. Each year it very much focuses on establishing new artists in the contemporary art scene, making it a must-see for all those interested in knowing where the art world is headed. The artists may not yet be as well known, but they undoubtedly will be in the near future.

Displaying so many amazing collections of contemporary art and often for free, art fairs are a great way of getting involved in the London arts scene, whilst also giving us an idea of who and what to look out for in the coming year.