Art Fairs to Explore this July
With lockdown lifting and physical events returning, art fairs are back this July! Art fairs have always represented key events for the art world. They allow emerging and established artists to come together and showcase their work, while collectors and enthusiasts can explore the most influential artworks highlighted on the creative scene. Admit it, you love art fairs as much as we do! And galleries have been busy, putting together a number of fantastic exhibitions for you to explore. To guide you to make the most of these (and still enjoy a bit of sunlight if there is any!), we have put together a hand-picked selection just for you.
The Other Art Fair
King’s Cross, London
1-4th July 2021
The Other Art Fair is one of the first kickoff the summer of art fairs in London. During the first four days of July, The Other Art Fair gathers over 100 emerging and forward-thinking creators. It will offer artworks in all shapes, sizes and prices to fit your taste and pocket size., The Other Art Fair also has an exciting programme outside of offering these great artworks, such as hand-poked tattoos and a vibrant DJ set that is sure to add spice to your art experience. In particular, we wanted to highlight Bruce Asbestos' work, “Eye of Newt”, which takes the stage at the fair's main entrance- perfect for a quick “I was here'' selfie (don’t forget to post it on Artscapy if you do this!). This gigantic, green inflatable eye shows the quirky and fun personality within Asbestos’ practice. We are particularly intrigued by the medium- why go for this inflatable, malleable material over something more solid like stone?
Buy tickets here.
Art Rotterdam
Van Nellefabriek, Rotterdam
1st July – 4th July 2021
The Netherlands also joins the art fair agenda with the 22nd edition of Art Rotterdam happening over the same first four days of July! This edition is shaping up to be very awe-inspiring through its most extensive exhibition space ever hosted, spanning both indoors and outdoors exhibitions. With over 100 showcasing galleries, Art Rotterdam is taking full advantage of the summer season by displaying some exciting site-specific works from artists such as Marcha van den Hurk and Sarah Maple. Hurk’s work is one of the biggest highlights from this year’s fair and can be found at Van Nelle Factory’s outdoor windows. This project is titled “Waves” (2021), and although its colourful flags may allude to an allround cheerful message, this artwork is quite charged.
“The flags include quotes, slogans, wishes and messages to loved ones. When the wind blows, it is as if the flags wave at the inmates in the penitentiary across the water.”
Sarah Maple presents a social critique in the work “The World As We Know It” (2019). This sculpture-text based artwork was created in response to the UK leaving the EU, but the work can be understood from other perspectives, such as a commentary on climate change. Indeed a good one to reflect on!
Also worth mentioning is the collaboration between Art Rotterdam and Young Collectors Circle as they offer guided tours throughout the fair to all visitors!
Book your tickets here.
ARCO Madrid
Madrid, Spain
7th- 11th July 2021
ARCO Madrid has been one of the most successful contemporary art fairs in Europe since 1982. As a response to the pandemic, this year's edition will run for an extended period: opening on the 7th until 11th July. These extended opening dates will benefit professional visitors primarily as public visitors remain allocated to the usual Saturday and Sunday open days. ARCO Madrid has a special focus this year! Not only is it the 40th edition of the fair, but it is also highlighting only artworks and projects by female artists. It is great to see female artists being increasingly noticed and included on the creative scene.
One of the artists at the spotlight during ARCO Madrid is Anastasia Samoylova, currently represented by Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Samoylova is a Russian-American photographer interested in bridging architectural landscapes and nature as a critique of the effect of consumerism on the environment. We find her works aesthetically pleasing with a deep, conceptual narrative- definitely worth taking a closer look at her works!
Buy your tickets here.
The Affordable Art Fair
Battersea, London
8th – 11th July 2021
Last on our list is The Affordable Art Fair. As it returns to the beautiful backdrop of Battersea Park this July, The Affordable Art Fair is the perfect fair for all aspiring art collectors (and the ideal place for someone looking to buy accessibly priced artworks- prices start from £100!). It is kicking off with a charity private view on 7th July, raising money for Arts 4 Dementia. All artworks bought from the charity stand will contribute “with 50% of the sale proceeds to Arts 4 Dementia”.
Also, on Thursday, 8th July, the fair will be open until 9 pm to accommodate an evening art crawl - exciting, right?
We looked through the artworks on sale, and we think that Kittoe Contemporary Gallery has some fantastic pairings to fit that monotone wall in your home that you hate to look at (and meant to decorate but never got around to) - we can all relate! What do you think of Amber Leaman’s abstract painting with deep-sea blues, “Rockpoling”, and Jess Quinn’s figurative painting, “Mother”? We believe they complement each other through the balance of figuration and abstraction in a beautiful way.
Buy your tickets here.
We hope you enjoyed our selection of art fairs to start your summer right! All these art fairs offer something unique to a wide range of art lovers and collectors, and we hope you make the most of it.
If you attend any of these art fairs and manage to grab an artwork to add to your collection, make sure you share your pictures with us. We would love to take a naughty look at your home collection- tag us #ArtscapyLondon.
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