Une immersion visuelle et sonore au coeur des combats avec d’immenses projections en relief sur l’ensemble de l’espace scénique.Look at the work shown by galleries such as STARKWHITE, PAULNACHE and Gow Langsford, along with Fox Jensen, which straddles the Tasman, and there’s a more challenging style than most of their Australian counterparts. One legacy of the pandemic is that this year’s participating galleries are drawn exclusively from Australia and New Zealand, but the kiwis are distinctive enough to provide a point of difference. Don’t forget to peek around the corner for the amazing paintings of Jonathon World Peace Bush. #Grand spectacle seriesAt THIS IS NO FANTASY, Vincent Namatjira makes a pretty good attempt at stealing the show with an epic series of portraits of Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family. Wagner Contemporary has also hedged its bets, taking three stalls to show the work of three artists, Eleanor Millard, Al Poulet and Nigel Sense. Michael Reid, for whom no rules ever seem to apply, has had an each-way bet, with his Sydney + Berlin stall hosting an elegant solo installation by photographer, Tamara Dean, and his Murrurundi stall (yes, Murrurundi), packed to the rafters with small saleable pictures and objects. Critical acclaim is good for the ego, but sales are crucial. Others choose to highlight a single artist, which can be both rewarding and risky. The list includes Martin Browne Contemporary, Roslyn Oxley9, Sullivan + Strumpf, Olsen Gallery, MARS, Nanda/Hobbs, Dominik Mersch, Niagara, ARC ONE, Bett Gallery, Arthouse and Yavuz Gallery. Many of the leading galleries take a no-nonsense approach, showing works by a range of artists. Those who simply can’t leave without buying something will often end their visit in this part of the fair. This imposing bush landscape is being sold by Australian Galleries, who would love to see the piece acquired by a museum but would probably settle for a private collector with a very big wall.Īt the other end of the scale, there are numerous galleries selling works for a few thousand dollars apiece, not to mention an entire “paper” section devoted to prints, drawings, and posters, most of them relatively inexpensive. It’s not going for $50 million, but for a bit more than $600,000 – a mere snip, considering the painting, Ramble, Kalorama (2017-19) is almost 19 metres in length, divided into 21 panels. It’s not by Louise Bourgeois, but by Mary Tonkin from the Dandenongs. The highest-priced work at the fair is also the largest on display. If you happen to be one of Australia’s 137 billionaires, there’s nothing at Sydney Contemporary that should make you blink. These practices may be starting to be broken down by some startling recent auction results, but dealers are still cautious about pushing prices too high, too quickly. Even collectors who might drop a million for a work by a big-name international artist at a foreign gallery expect to pick up bargains at home. One of the peculiarities of the Australian market is that everybody seems to believe art should be cheap. If the fair attracts more visitors every year and generates an increasing volume of sales, it indicates Australians are overcoming their notorious philistinism and becoming part of the global art world. In this sense, Sydney Contemporary is an index of cultural change. The abiding hope of every one of the 90+ commercial galleries participating in this pricey exercise is to meet new clients who will return again and again. Buying art is one of those habits that doesn’t come naturally to Australians unless one’s parents have been active in this area.Īustralia never seems to be short of new money, and this is where things get interesting. Steepling inflation and rising interest rates are not incentives to go wild at the art fair, as those struggling to pay mortgages are unlikely to be eager collectors. While COVID-19 might have proved healthy for the Australian art market, there are important new factors to add into the mix. #Grand spectacle upgradeTime to buy some new furniture! New curtains! Upgrade the TV! Get some new art! Sitting around, day after day, people began to feel dissatisfied with their domestic environment. It’s widely believed this was because wealthy collectors who had got into the habit of purchasing work from international art fairs found themselves stranded in Australia and rekindled an interest in the homegrown product. During the pandemic, when predictions of doom and gloom abounded, many local art dealers enjoyed surprisingly good seasons. It’s been three long years since the last Sydney Contemporary, and the market is more of a puzzle than ever.
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