1–3 March 2013
VIP Preview: 28 February
Olympia Grand Hall
Olympia Way
Kensington
London, W14 8UX
info [at] artfairslondon.com
www.artfairslondon.com
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Art13 London, sponsored by Citi Private Bank, takes place at Olympia Grand Hall from 1 to 3 March with 129 galleries from 30 countries participating in the inaugural edition. The concept for the Fair is to create Europe’s first truly global art fair and it breaks new ground by having roughly half of the participating artists with a non-Western background exhibiting side-by-side with their Western peers. Artists hail from countries that range from China to Brazil, from cities that span New York to Jeddah. 70% of the participating galleries are new to London and the fair will be a place for discovery by curators, critics and collectors.
The Fair is divided into three sections—the main section and two sections devoted to emerging practice: Young Galleries (for galleries less than six years old) and London First (for young galleries who have never shown in London before). The main section ranges across the modern and the contemporary, providing an overview of globalized art production since the middle of the last century. It showcases artists such as the 90-year-old Hungarian artist Judit Riegl; Zhang Wei, who was one of members of the late 1970s ‘No Name Group’ in Beijing; the American artist William Klein, who was the subject of a recent Tate Modern solo exhibition; and Lee Yongbaek, who represented Korea at the Venice Biennale in 2011. Many of these artists are not necessarily art-fair stalwarts but rather more known to curators and critics—Art13 London aims to give them centre stage.
Young artists feature prominently in both London First and Young Galleries, with the former section being advised by the curator Lisa Le Feuvre. These are focused booths that present either one or two artists or are themed around a particular concept. Artists include the Pakistani-born New York-based Seher Shah, the Phillipino artist Poklong Anading and the young British sculptor James Ireland.
All three sections are located in the Olympia Grand Hall, a dramatic Victorian-era exhibition hall with a soaring, curved glass ceiling. The fair is straightforward to navigate and visitors should be able to discern themes discretely programmed in the layout of galleries, such as the global modern and contemporary photography. The three sections of the fair are complemented with a series of not-for-profit institutions including Ullens Art Centre (China), The Serpentine Gallery and Iniva (UK).
Art13 London’s inaugural year is marked by a strong Public Programme. Art13 Projects consists of twenty-one installations sited in corridors, aisles, corners and adjoining rooms within the Fair. Additionally, works are sited within the fabric of Olympia (for instance, via the PA system) and also outside the building. The projects boast a truly international line-up, including works by El Anatsui (Ghana), Ella Finer (UK), Žilvinas Kempinas (Lithuania), Roelof Louw (South Africa), and Handiwirman Saputra (Indonesia).
The Fair breaks with convention by dedicating a specific booth to performance art. Art13 Performance explores the revival of the medium, with performances programmed on the hour from noon on each of the public days of the Fair. Curated by Amanprit Sandhu, the booth features a line-up of young international practitioners, including Bedwyr Williams (Wales), Joel Yuen (Singapore), Ingrid Mwangi Robert Hutter (Kenya and Germany) and Juneau Projects (UK).
Art13 Talks presents two international collectors’ panels about building collections and the role of private museums in a globalized art world. On Friday 1 March at 3pm, four of China’s most important collectors, Dai Zhikang, Li Bing, Liu Wenjin and Wang Wei discuss ‘The China Moment.’ On Saturday 2 March at 2pm, Dr Oei Hong Djien, Don and Mera Rubell, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Ramin Salsali discuss ‘The Global Rise of the Private Museum.’ At 5pm on Saturday 2 March, ‘Saudi Arabia and Contemporary Art: Reaching Out’ will look at this emerging area of art production. Speakers include Hazem Harb, Mohammed Hafiz and Alia Al-Senussi. On Sunday 3 March at 1pm, Art13 London will host ‘Contemporary Photography, Community and Positive View’ in conjunction with the Fair’s philanthropic partner, the Positive View Foundation. Chaired by Charlotte Cotton, the talk will highlight the history of educational and community-based photography projects in the UK.
The Programme is completed by a Family Trail, designed by Nina Mangalanayagam in association with the Zabludowicz Foundation. Art13 London is grateful that the Public Programme is supported by Arts Council England.
Opening Times
Thursday 28 February: VIP review 4–6pm, public opening 6–9pm
Friday 1 March: 11–6pm
Saturday 2 March: 11–6pm
Sunday 3 March: 11–5pm
To book tickets visit www.artfairslondon.com.