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Dark Fair
Swiss Institute
495 Broadway, 3rd floor
New York, NY
Presented by Milwaukee International
March 28-29, 2008
Review by Noah Friedman
Posted April 21, 2008. In the past decade the art world
has been revolving around art fairs. And it makes sense; they’re
lucrative and they put the viewers in a comfortable and direct
engagement with the work. The spaces are presented as utilitarian
strip malls, which imply a relationship a shopper might have to a
shoe store. They create a space the visitors can easily associate with.
The art fair offers an interesting and rather ironic context for contemporary art --an
art scene that’s primary concern seems to be with the confrontation and
renegotiation of its material nature. You could compare the conflict of interest to
putting Duchamp’s “fountain” in an appliance store. Art needs support, (as in a
more informed place for it to be exhibited and sold), and it has not been finding it
in the current structure of the contemporary art fair.
With that said I think the question has to be what’s next? And people are hungry
for the answer. On March 28th the Dark Fair opened in New York City. It was a
mini art fair held without the use of electricity at the Swiss institute located in
SOHO. Here, the question was finally addressed: Are there possible alternative
modes of presenting art?
The space was built and curated to represent these concerns, offering a humorous
yet logical alternative to the meat markets/art fairs every ones been flocking to.
The Milwaukee natives who organized the show, John Riepenhoff, Tyson Reeder,
Scott Reeder and Nicholas Frank, seamlessly reframed the mundane
characteristics that can be all too commonly associated with art fairs.
The fair succeeded on three levels that other fairs generally do not. They
simultaneously addressed critical concerns pertaining to art and commerce while
providing a positive outlook for the future. They engaged the viewers by
reconfiguring the typical cubbyhole style booths into a sit down café environment
that encouraged social interaction. And they turned off the lights which presented
galleries with an interesting framework in which to develop their booths.
To my surprise, the international selection of galleries, which varied from up and
coming project spaces like Golden Age to heavy hitters like Gavin Brown, white
columns and Frieze International, consciously adapted their displays to work with
the characteristics of the space. Each space offered a unique engagement. The
booths developed playful alternatives to the object focus of your general art fair.
The interactions were refreshing and diverse.
During the two day running period, there were several performances, an indoor
sculpture garden and over twenty booths. The Milwaukee-run Green Gallery had a
mini café that paired people up for a meal. Many of the galleries presented work
that engaged with the space such as Megan Plunkett’s glow in the dark text, which,
with the help of a black light, told the viewers their future as a generation who will
care about human relations and communication, a witty context for a piece that
can only be read in the dark.
James Fuentes (director of James Fuentes Gallery) talked about the fair’s vibe: “I
went into the fair for its spirit and social aspects and the entrance fee was low so I
was more interested in taking risks then trying to sell work.” But to Fuente’s
surprise, having a good time was something art collectors were interested in. The
show was both successful in its commercial and its social endeavors.
The Dark fair took some risks that worked out well. It represented a positive
alternative that will hopefully be used as an example for other fair organizers in
the future. If you are looking to check out a fair similar to this one come to the
Milwaukee International which runs May16 and 17 at the Polish Falcon beer hall
in River West, Milwaukee.
Milwaukee native Noah Friedman is an artist currently based in New York.
Swiss Institute
495 Broadway, 3rd floor
New York, NY
Presented by Milwaukee International
March 28-29, 2008
Review by Noah Friedman
Posted April 21, 2008. In the past decade the art world
has been revolving around art fairs. And it makes sense; they’re
lucrative and they put the viewers in a comfortable and direct
engagement with the work. The spaces are presented as utilitarian
strip malls, which imply a relationship a shopper might have to a
shoe store. They create a space the visitors can easily associate with.
The art fair offers an interesting and rather ironic context for contemporary art --an
art scene that’s primary concern seems to be with the confrontation and
renegotiation of its material nature. You could compare the conflict of interest to
putting Duchamp’s “fountain” in an appliance store. Art needs support, (as in a
more informed place for it to be exhibited and sold), and it has not been finding it
in the current structure of the contemporary art fair.
With that said I think the question has to be what’s next? And people are hungry
for the answer. On March 28th the Dark Fair opened in New York City. It was a
mini art fair held without the use of electricity at the Swiss institute located in
SOHO. Here, the question was finally addressed: Are there possible alternative
modes of presenting art?
The space was built and curated to represent these concerns, offering a humorous
yet logical alternative to the meat markets/art fairs every ones been flocking to.
The Milwaukee natives who organized the show, John Riepenhoff, Tyson Reeder,
Scott Reeder and Nicholas Frank, seamlessly reframed the mundane
characteristics that can be all too commonly associated with art fairs.
The fair succeeded on three levels that other fairs generally do not. They
simultaneously addressed critical concerns pertaining to art and commerce while
providing a positive outlook for the future. They engaged the viewers by
reconfiguring the typical cubbyhole style booths into a sit down café environment
that encouraged social interaction. And they turned off the lights which presented
galleries with an interesting framework in which to develop their booths.
To my surprise, the international selection of galleries, which varied from up and
coming project spaces like Golden Age to heavy hitters like Gavin Brown, white
columns and Frieze International, consciously adapted their displays to work with
the characteristics of the space. Each space offered a unique engagement. The
booths developed playful alternatives to the object focus of your general art fair.
The interactions were refreshing and diverse.
During the two day running period, there were several performances, an indoor
sculpture garden and over twenty booths. The Milwaukee-run Green Gallery had a
mini café that paired people up for a meal. Many of the galleries presented work
that engaged with the space such as Megan Plunkett’s glow in the dark text, which,
with the help of a black light, told the viewers their future as a generation who will
care about human relations and communication, a witty context for a piece that
can only be read in the dark.
James Fuentes (director of James Fuentes Gallery) talked about the fair’s vibe: “I
went into the fair for its spirit and social aspects and the entrance fee was low so I
was more interested in taking risks then trying to sell work.” But to Fuente’s
surprise, having a good time was something art collectors were interested in. The
show was both successful in its commercial and its social endeavors.
The Dark fair took some risks that worked out well. It represented a positive
alternative that will hopefully be used as an example for other fair organizers in
the future. If you are looking to check out a fair similar to this one come to the
Milwaukee International which runs May16 and 17 at the Polish Falcon beer hall
in River West, Milwaukee.
Milwaukee native Noah Friedman is an artist currently based in New York.
| Copyright 2008 Art History Chicks LLC |
| Video by Vernissage TV. |
