ARCOmadrid 2013

Organized by IFEMA, the 32nd edition of ARCOmadrid International Contemporary Art Fair will be the stage of 202 galleries from 30 countries, of which 146 are participating in the General Programme and 56 emerging ones providing content for the different Curated Programmes.

ARCOmadrid 2013 will include several activities, including presentations, discussion forums and meetings, for which several art professionals have been invited to share their knowledge. With this, the organizers aim to provide the general public and art collectors, either emerging or more seasoned, with the necessary tools to enhance their contemporary art experience, namely through its International Collectors and The First Collectors programmes.

The inclusion of QR codes referring to Highlighted Artists selected by each gallery, will offer a more complete information about their artwork and artistic careers, helping discover emerging talents and revisiting established ones with a wider perspective.

From 7 to 24 February, a selection of works from the galleries participating in the Fair, will be offered for sale at prices limited up to €5000.00 at Collect online, an online platform with the collaboration of Paddle 8.
This confirms the commitment of ARCOmadrid of evolving side by side with the new technologies.

Another novelty for 2013 is ARCO Bloggers , an online participatory publishing experiment conceived and coordinated by Roberta Bosco and Stefano Caldana, which offers a non-static way of looking at the contemporary art scene and its protagonists through the phenomenon and format of contemporary art blogs. The intention is to discover and analyse the new characteristics and dynamics of art information and criticism at a time of transition from analogue to digital media.

In line with this, as part of the discussion spaces, the ARCO Bloggers' Forum will be held, with the title “Contemporary art: online tools and strategies”, and the participation of Spain's leading contemporary art bloggers and international opinion creators with an outstanding online presence and activity.

 ARCOmadrid didn't forget about the children and for the second year in a row and after a resounding success last year, ARCOkids returns with a space for the youngest visitors with workshops in partnership with the Fundación Pequeño Deseo to encourage the creativity of children aged 4 to 14.

Another major feature happening each year, is the presentation of several awards recognising artistic creation, collecting and the work of young artists. Namely a €15,000.00 prize sponsored by the watchmakers Audemars Piguet, for the production of a work of art. This year the prize has been attributed to the project ‘Arules’ by Juan Luis Moraza.

One of the most important sections is FOCUS TURKEY, resulting from the collaboration of the Turkish Embassy in Spain, and with the participation of the curator Vasif Kortun, director of research and programmes at the institution SALT Istanbul, and the assistant curator Lara Fresko, writer and art professional, who have selected the 10 Turkish galleries who will participate in the programme.

The presence of Turkey will also be reflected in the city of Madrid, with themed exhibitions in many of its most representative galleries and museums.
To extend the cultural offerings, Turkey will also take part in the AfterARCO project, which after the Fair closes each day, organises activities in different spaces in the city: Nave 16, Cineteca and Nave de la Música at MATADERO MADRID.

ARCOmadrid 2013 offers many opportunities to the general public and to art collectors to learn about the latest trends on Contemporary Art. The only drawback is the ticket prices which, as having the opinion that everyone should be entitled to appreciate art, are too high, especially in a country where unemployment is at this time of around 25%.

The Fair will take place at Feria de Madrid, Halls 8 and 10 (13th - 17th February 2013)
Professionals: Wednesday 13, from noon to 9 pm & Thursday 14, from noon to 8 pm.

General public: Friday 15, Saturday 16 & Sunday 17, from noon to 8 pm.

The Affordable Art Fair Brussels 2011

The third edition of the AAF (Affordable Art Fair) Brussels will take place at the Tour & Taxis in Brussels, between the 25th and the 28th of February (preview on the 24th by invitation only).

Around 100 contemporary galleries from Belgium and other countries will be present in an art fair that will offer to its visitors a programme of activities that will include an "ARTY-LICIOUS EVENING" with Yves Mattagne and Eric Boschman, the performances of Jef Aérosol and Belgium ALVARI.

Visitors are also invited to participate in free workshop of print making, hosted by the 'Centre de la Gravure de la Louvière'.

During the AAF Brussels 2011, part of the collection of Alain-Dominique Gallizia will be exhibited in a street-art section.

Founded in 1999 by Will Ramsay, the Affordable Art Fair has in its main objective to make contemporary art accessible to everyone, and to show you don’t need to be an art expert or a millionaire to enjoy and buy art.

To know more about the AAF and its next editions, visit the main page.

TEFAF Maastricht 2011

Considered the world's leading art and antiques fair, TEFAF Maastricht 2011 will offer to its visitors some of the best available fine art, antiques, jewelery, manuscripts and other ancient pieces reflecting 6,000 years of excellence in the applied arts, brought by 260 of the world’s most prestigious art and antiques dealers from 16 countries.

From the paintings of old masters like Bruegel to more recent artists, visitors and collectors will the opportunity to experience in sight the European, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, ethnographic and pre-Columbian art, medieval to modern sculpture, furniture from the 16th century to the 19th century, lavishly decorated documents such as illuminated manuscripts, Egyptian mummy masks, Greek marble statues, Roman coins, precious gems, and vintage watches.
A Modern section will showcase the art from the 20th and 21st centuries which includes works from famous artists including Renoir, Picasso, Poliakoff, Kandinsky, Henry Moore, Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Anish Kapoor, Francis Bacon and Damien Hirst.

Introduced in 2009, the Design section seeks to highlight the twentieth-century design and applied arts from the leading international specialists.

TEFAF Paper was first brought to public in 2010, showing drawings and limited edition prints ranging from Old Masters to contemporary works, antiquarian books and manuscripts, Japanese prints, photography, wallpaper and other works.

A Showcase section, introduced in 2008, offers recently established galleries and dealers the opportunity to participate in the Fair on a strictly one-off basis.

Visitors to the TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) are invited to buy with confidence, every item on view at the fair has been subject to rigorous checks carried out by 29 specialist vetting committees, made up of near 175 internationally respected experts, as to its quality, condition and authenticity. TEFAF Maastricht was also the first to introduce The Art Loss Register at the fair in 2000.

TEFAF Maastricht 2011 can be visited between the 18th and the 27th of March 2011, at the MECC (Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Centre).
Cameras, umbrellas, large bags and backpacks are not allowed, and don't carry art or antiques for valuation.
Tickets, fair catalogues and publications can be ordered online.

Artists Wanted: A Year In Review

Open to all artists from around the world who are over the age of 18, Artists Wanted : A Year In Review 2010 is an international, all-medium-encompassing open call seeking to bring due recognition to emerging and innovative artists working in Animation, Design, Drawing, Film, Illustration, Installation, Painting, Performance, Photography, Sculpture, Sound, Video, and other Conceptual proposals that they may wish to present.

Submited works will be appreciated by the following juri: Lee Wells and Adina Sales (Motion & Sound); Aldon James, Jr. and Saul Ostrow (Fine Art); John Fiorelli, James Jean and Jeff Ng aka jeffstaple (Design & Illustration); Craig Cohen and Lesley A. Martin (Photography).

The Grand Prize winner will gain a feature spot at SCOPE New York 2011, next to the top figures in the global art scene, a $10,000 cash grant (includes $5,000 to create new work and $5,000 to spend however you want), hotel accommodations and airfare to and from New York City for the event, as well as other promotional events. The winner of The People's Choice Award will receive a $2000 cash grant and an online feature bringing international exposure.

The Artists Wanted: A Year In Review 2010, also includes The Category Awards with the objective of bringing more attention and recognition to talented artists in their respective mediums.
Categories are devided in Fine Art (Painting, Drawing, Sculpture & Installation); Motion & Sound (Film, Video, Performance & Sound); Design & Illustration; Photography.
The winner of each will receive $1,000 and internationally broadcasted online features by Artists Wanted.

With the participation of Topher Grace, the recipient of The Art of Elysium Award will receive a $10,000 donation made to The Art of Elysium upon his/her behalf, as well as an online feature published by Artists Wanted and The Art of Elysium.
Topher Grace is an American Film and Television actor, best known for his lead role as Eric Forman on That 70s Show and committed supporter of The Art of Elysium.

Works must be submited online and the price for entry is $10 per image, or 8 or more images for a flat rate of $79 (maximum of 15 images).
After completing payment, applicants will be sent a confirmation email with username, password, and direct link to their portfolio, which can be fully edited until the final deadline.

Entries must be submitted before January 28, 2011. Late entries must be submitted no later than February 4, 2011 and may be subject to a late entry fee.

Artists Wanted was was created three years ago by two Brooklyn based artists, Jason Goodman and William Etundi Jr. and is is a collaborative project between several New York City artists and creative organizations working to build new lasting opportunities for emerging talent.

BRAFA 2011 - Brussels Antiques & Fine Arts Fair

Inspired by the examples of the Grosvenor House in London and the Prinsenhof in Delft, and organinzed by the Belgian Antiques Fair not-for-profit association, the first BRAFA (Brussels Antiques & Fine Arts Fair) edition took place in 1955 in the Arlequin Hall of the Galerij Louiza.
This initiative to set up a “salon van antiquairs” was taken by Charles Van Hove, for many years the President, and Ms Mamy Wouters, Vice-President, of the Belgian Royal Chamber of Antiques Dealers.

Reserved until 1994 to Belgian antique dealers who were members of the Royal Chamber of Antiques Dealers, the fair was a national event that had been held at the "Palais des Beaux-Arts" in Brussels between 1967 and 2003, with the number of participants ranging between forty and fifty.
However its continuous success and expansion of art objects continued to arise the interest of antique dealers from abroad, leading the at the time President Christian de Bruyn to open the fair to foreign antique dealers for the first time in 1995.

The "Palais des Beaux-Arts" no longer suficed to hold the event and in 2004 the Belgium Antiques Fair moved to the Tour & Taxis industrial site in the Noordwijk district of Brussels alongside the Willebroek canal.
This change permited to increase the number of participants to near 120, a steep improvement from the original 20 participants at the outset and a statement of BRAFA's importance at an international level.

Over the years the fair has also embraced modern and contemporary art, preparing itself for the 21st century. Because the name “Belgian Antiques Fair” or “Foire des Antiquaires de Belgique” no longer reflected this development, in 2007 the fair was renamed BRAFA or Brussels Antiques & Fine Arts Fair.
The Belgian Antiques Fair not-for-profit association was placed under the High Protection of Her Majesty the Queen on 30 September 2009.

The fair will include antiquities, oceanic art, African art, Oriental art, silver, antique jewellery, furniture and works of art from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, curiosities, ceramics, earthenware and porcelain, drawings, engravings, old masters, modern painting, sculpture, carpets, tapestry, antique and modern books, numismatic, contemporary painting and sculpture, photography.

Counting with the presence of 130 dealers, the BRAFA's 56th edition is expected to receive around 38,000 visitors.

Held in the Tour & Taxis in the heart of Brussels, the fair will run from 21 to 30 January 2011 (11am to 7pm). Late night opening on Tuesday 25 and Thursday 27 January 2011 until 10.30 pm.
Guided tours: daily at 3 pm.
A catalogue with 600 pages is available for €10.

The Museum Mayer van den Bergh will be this year's guest of honour and will exhibit twenty works of art that will include The Adoration of the Shepherds by Jacob Jordaens, an antiquities-styled Maria-Magdalena by Jan Gossaert, and the life-size portraits of the Vekemans family painted by Cornelis de Vos.