Latest news with #artfair
Vogue Arabia
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Arabia
An Immersive Guide to Downtown Design Riyadh
A treat for design lovers, Downtown Design Riyadh will feature a plethora of limited-edition pieces from leading international galleries and regional collectives in a fair from May 20 to May 23rd. Gallery COLLECTIONAL will feature work by New York-based Apparatus Studio and Draga & Aurel, while Venini, known for its stunning glass creations, brings timeless pieces by designers Michele De Lucchi and Peter Marino. Helen Chislett Gallery presents the work of British architect Thomas Heatherwick with his striking Extrusion benches, while Jordan-based Naqsh Collective offers a regional voice through a poetic fusion of Arab craftsmanship and contemporary form, celebrating heritage through design. Helen Chislett Gallery, Thomas Heatherwick The fair is also set to welcome an impressive line-up of global brands, with exciting debuts and creative collaborations, including Cosentino and Kuwait-based Babnimnim Design Studio's Moon Vignettes , an installation inspired by the ancient concept of the Moon Gate. Lasvit is showcasing Splash , a luminous piece designed by Martin Gallo that recently showcased at this year's Salone del Mobile in Milan. Natuzzi Italia will debut the modular Amama sofa for the first time in the region, and Maison Louis Drucker teams with TRAME and Aranda\Lasch for a tech-meets-craft launch. Other highlights include Saint Louis' Torsade , and Scarlet Splendour, which makes its regional debut with bold brass designs by designer Richard Hutten. Bompas & Parr, the London-based, creative duo known for crafting wild, immersive food experiences that blend art, science, and gastronomy have collaborated with regional eatery The Lighthouse to bring an onsite, multi-sensory pop-up at the fair. Glow-in-the-dark desserts and conceptual mocktails are served in a space designed by local firm Laeta Interior, inspired by the disciplined dreamers of the Bauhaus movement. Saudi specialty coffee brands Origin Roasters and Marble x Easy Bakery will also bring fresh brews and local flavours to the fair.
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How Stockholm's Market Art Fair Is Reframing The Nordic Conversation
Loji Höskuldsson "193 Days in Stockholm" at V1 Gallery, Market Art Fair What do art fairs reveal about a place? With so many fairs popping up in cities across the globe—from the prestigious Art Basel to the ever-expanding Frieze network—does a sense of place still matter? Can it offer deeper cultural insight, invite a new lens through which to view the work? Sales may drive the art fairs, alongside visibility for galleries and artists, but these events can also be platforms where ideas converge—where we turn to visual culture to make collective sense of the world. This thought came to me walking through the bright, airy halls of Liljevalchs Konsthall in Stockholm during Market Art Fair. Now in its 19th year, and the Nordic region's longest-running fair, this relatively modest event offers something quietly radical: a Nordic perspective rooted in context and conversation. Loji Höskuldsson "193 Days in Stockholm" at V1 Gallery, Market Art Fair 'We're very much about Nordic values of democracy, equality—of gender, of race—and of fairness and humbleness,' says Sara Berner Bengtsson, CEO and director of Market Art Fair. 'You see it not only in the way we run the fair, but also in the art itself. There's a deep connection to nature, to craft, and to environmental themes. This is what sets the region apart.' Since launching in 2006, Market has established itself as the Nordic region's key platform for serious art commerce. It combines a light curatorial sensibility with a relaxed, informal atmosphere that feels true to its Stockholm base. Exhibitors—this year saw 51 galleries representing more than 150 artists with roots spanning Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Sápmi and beyond—are selected by a committee of museum directors and curators from across the region, currently chaired by Lars Nittve, founding director of Tate Modern and former head of Stockholm's Moderna Museet. This year he was joined by Marie Nipper of Arken (Denmark), Pilvi Kalhama of EMMA (Finland), and independent curator Magnus af Petersens. Critically, their criteria are not commercially driven, but rather favoring quality of presentation, artistic ambition, and cultural relevance. Greenlandic Inuit artist Inuuteq Storch and Danish ceramicist-painter Mikkel Ørsted, Wilson Saplana Gallery at Market Art Fair The architecture and layout of the fair feels more democratic compared to some of the bigger events, where blue-chip galleries tend to secure the most prominent spots. Here, there's a clear effort to ensure no single gallery overshadows another. 'It's very democratic in how a gallery gets a booth,' replies Berner Bengtsson as I share my observation. 'We rotate them based on representation and what they need—wall space for paintings, floor space for sculpture. It's not about hierarchy. That's not who we are.' Iria Leino at Larsen Warner, Market Art Fair Arguably, Sweden's 'One Percent Rule' (which allocates art investment to public spaces) has quietly shaped a culture where creativity is woven into daily life. Here, art isn't a luxury, it's essential. You really notice it in the many, many cultural hubs scattered across the city. There's a prevailing sense that culture is good for the health of the nation. And I can't help wishing countries like the UK, where I'm based, would better recognize the soft power of the arts. Chair of the selection committee Nittve sees the fair's growth as also reflective of Stockholm's place as a leading art destination in the region, driven by both a traditional and vibrant younger gallery scene. 'For nearly two decades, we've been a meeting place for galleries, artists, and collectors, united by a commitment to quality of art and meaningful connections,' he says. 'With its boutique scale, Market offers an intimate environment where every interaction counts.' Karin Lind at SE Galleri Duerr at Market Art Fair One of the key themes at Market, explored through its public program, was the elevation of Indigenous perspectives. Swedish artist Carola Grahn advocated for Sámi sovereignty in art during the fair's talks program, while Kiruna's Kin Museum for Contemporary Art presented Reports from the North, a curatorial project connecting Sámi worldviews, Arctic ecologies, and global artistic discourse. Particularly notable at the fair were the works of Greenlandic Inuit artist Inuuteq Storch and Danish ceramicist-painter Mikkel Ørsted—both showing at Copenhagen's Wilson Saplana Gallery. Market Art Fair 2025 in Stockholm With the Arctic Triennale in Umeå planned for next year and the Sámi Pavilion at last year's Venice Biennale still resonating, Berner Bengtsson sees growing interest in this area. 'In Sweden, this isn't new, but we haven't always used art to reframe the conversation,' she tells me. 'We're starting to cultivate and understand what we have up here, which is completely unique,' say continues. 'We're the most northern fair in Europe, and until recently, no one here really made that a point of identity. But Nordic art resonates powerfully now: whether through Sámi perspectives fusing folklore with imagined pasts and futures, or works exploring Arctic ecologies and radical craft traditions.' Sculpture by Fabian Bergmark Näsman in the Liljevalchs Konstall courtyard Among the discoveries this year at Market are two historically overlooked female artists receiving long-overdue attention through representation at the fair and solo presentations elsewhere in Stockholm. with work that feels alive and relevant today, Atti Johansson (1917–2003), represented by Belenius gallery, staged an artistic protest against the destructive forces of modern technology. Meanwhile, Iria Leino (1932–2022), shown at Larsen Warner, worked with ethereal abstractions that remained largely unseen until her death. Her life was full of adventure too, taking her to Paris where she worked as a sought-after model for Dior and others, and later to New York where she lived and worked within the SoHo art scene of the 1960s and 70s. With an artistic practice deeply intertwined with spiritualism, it's natural that comparisons are being made between Leino and Hilma af Klint, who is portrayed in a new semi-fictional novel by Ida Therén—also discussed at the fair. Magnus Thierfelder at Tzotzis_Elastic Gallery, Market Art Fair Several artists are reinventing the Nordic region's rich craft traditions through radical innovation. I particularly enjoyed the playful work of Loji Höskuldsson, whose In Stockholm 193 Days at Danish V1 Gallery is an impressive six-panel embroidery narrating his experience living in the city for —well—193 days, weaving in references to Swedish flora and fauna, regional products, and cultural icons: midsommarstång, smörgåsbord, Volvo, Ikea, ABBA. His is an art of hope and humanity. Market also put the spotlight on the urgent topic of visual literacy. Responding to our shared global concerns around AI-generated disinformation, and in an initiative backed by Sweden's Psychological Defence Agency, the cultural body Bildkonst Sverige used the occasion of the fair to launch a national research program exploring how visual literacy might strengthen democratic resilience. A keynote conversation between Bildkonst Sverige's director Magdalena Malm and artist Annika Elisabeth von Hausswolff delved into the power of images—and their role in shaping, or distorting, our understanding of the world. Anja Fredell at Galleri Hedenius during Market Art Week 'Artists have long been trained in visual literacy—in understanding what happens behind the camera, what changes when an image sits next to a text,' Malm told me at the fair. 'There's an enormous depth of knowledge in the arts that society urgently needs. If we want to equip people to take part in democratic conversations, we need to help them decode what they see, and understand how images affect them emotionally.' 'There could be no more fitting venue to launch this initiative than our fair in Stockholm,' adds Berner Bengtsson. 'We're supporting it because they don't have a global outlet, and we want to use our platform to bring these urgent conversations to the public. In a world flooded with information and disinformation, artists have a crucial role to play in helping us decode what we see.' Erik Thörnqvist and Sophie Reinhold at Market Art Week That public-facing mission is also reflected in the fair's open curatorial approach, which this year allocated space for galleries and artists not necessarily tied to the Nordic region. 'We have to give our galleries the freedom of expression,' Berner Bengtsson insists. 'Our focus remains on the Nordic region, but we're also here to serve a purpose. The art world is global. And so are many of our artists.' The collector base, too, is evolving. 'In Sweden we have a strong tradition of collecting—we have good institutions and a solid base of committed collectors —old-school collectors, and a new wave from tech, gaming, and music,' she says. 'We also have, last I checked, 42 billionaires, and personal relationships with 30 of them. And this being Sweden, they don't come through a PA. They show up with their families. The Swedish royal family are regulars at the fair, too. I come from a gallery background, and when I took this position in 2020 realized we have to work directly with the collectors. The galleries don't come here because we're nice—they come here because we're well organized and can sell. This is how I see our place in the ecosystem.' Éva Mag and Eline Mugaas at Galleri Riis For Berner Bengtsson, that clarity of purpose is everything. 'A prominent collector told me last year that he felt our fair is a feminine fair—it's run by women and it's not a masculine showing-off affair. Of course, you can be envious of the bigger fairs, the ones with the big-name galleries. But that comment gave me clarity. We should be strong in doing what we do best, and do it with conviction,' she says. 'My biggest hope with this fair, and with all our fairs, is success for the galleries. Behind each gallery is a living artist, often making work specifically for this event. This is their livelihood. When the galleries do well, we're happy.' Market Art Fair was at Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden May 15-18, 2025. See 'Typologien' at Fondazione Prada in Milan; read my highlights from Milan Design Week 2025; see what's happening at the 24th Triennale Milano here, and read my year in art.
Bloomberg
20-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Breaking Into the Middle East, Art Basel Will Open a Fair in Doha
Art Basel is expanding again. Next year the Swiss-based art fair will open an edition in Doha, Qatar's capital city. 'We're starting small,' says Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz. 'This is going to come to market in February next year in a very considered and measured way.'
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Attendance Up 11% At 2025 TEFAF New York As It Enters Final Day
The Anna Hu booth at TEFAF New York Anthony DeMarco TEFAF New York is showing an 11% increase in attendance over the prior year's fair as it enters the final day. The fair's eleventh edition hosted 91 international exhibitors, including 13 new galleries that showcased modern and contemporary art, antiquities, jewelry and design objects. Fair officials reported 'robust sales,' as private collectors and public institutions were ready and willing to buy. The art, design and antiques fair opened on May 8 with an invitation-only preview day, followed by a public opening on May 9. The fair will close on May 13. The preview day was quite crowded, even mobbed at times, with eager buyers, including some high-profile collectors. Fashion designer Carolina Herrera and Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia were seen at the Anna Hu booth. Other notables included Steve Martin, Marc Jacobs, Reed Krakoff, Michael Bloomberg and Larry Tisch. Speaking of Anna Hu, the Taiwanese high jewelry artist, who also exhibited at the TEFAF Maastricht fair in March, brought one new piece to TEFAF New York and it was a beauty: the Duo du Serpent Vert et Blanc ('The Green and White Snake Duo'), a combination ring and bangle consisting of two serpents with their mouths attached to a Ying-Yang tachi made of mother-of-pearl and onyx. The green serpent bangle is paved with garnets and diamonds and white serpent is paved with diamonds and emeralds with emerald eyes. The hand ornament represents the friendship between women, a spokesperson for Hu told me. Hemmerle sapphire, aluminum and bronze earrings Eva-Maria Vaeth German high jeweler, Hemerle, brought several new examples of their latest jewels, including a few that the brand didn't exhibit at TEFAF Maastricht. This included a couple pieces in colorful aluminum, a material that can change color when anodized. The first pair consists of round floral-inspired purplish anodized aluminum set with 135 sapphires weighing 8.29 carats with bronze stems. Hemmerle tanzanite and aluminum earrings Eva-Maria Vaeth The second pair featured two tanzanite gems each weighing more than 9 carats, set in blackened silver and white gold and attached to three wing-like strands of anodized aluminum in three different shades of blue. Ana Khouri's gallery-like booth at TEFAF New York Anthony DeMarco TEFAF is an art fair and the contemporary jewelers who exhibit are referred to as artists. High jewelry artist Ana Khouri presented a novel way to display her latest pieces that is within this theme. Each individual piece was placed on a wall in her booth backed by simple sheet of parchment paper. It created a gallery setting for her jewels that is in line with most exhibitors at the fair who are gallery owners. Ana Khouri necklace displayed on parchment paper Anthony DeMarco Her latest group of jewels focused on raw, organic and somewhat abstract takes based on nature. The gold is roughly textured. In some cases, wood was used for the creations. Her works are also personal, reflecting on how she views the world around her. FD Gallery, owned and operated by Fionna Druckenmiller, brought a recreation of its Upper East Side gallery to the fair with its collections of JAR, Cartier, Bulgari and many other pieces from historic brands and contemporary jewelry artists. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder In the booth with Druckenmiller was French high jeweler Alessandro Sabbatini who founded the brand, SABBA. Sabbatini designs and creates pieces in classic styles using a variety of gemstones in rare cuts and finishes, often set in titanium. His creations are sold exclusively at FD Gallery through an agreement Druckenmiller and Sabbatini made several years ago. Didier and Martine Haspeslagh, owners of the Didier Ltd. London gallery that specialize in jewels created by modern artists, brought many of the same jewels that the couple exhibited at TEFAF Maastricht. However, there were few new items, including those from artist Alexander Calder, renowned for his kinetic sculptures and monumental public works. His jewelry pieces are almost always made of common materials such as silver, steel and rock crystal and are roughly handcrafted. This includes a bracelet, circa 1938, made of hammered silver wire with three spiral ornaments that Dider explained takes its inspiration from primitive art forms, which were popular among artists at the time.
CBC
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Toronto art fair celebrates Mother's Day this year
Social Sharing For anyone in Toronto still looking for Mother's Day plans, there's an annual Toronto art fair curated for the holiday. The Artist Project, an annual fair for more than 250 independent artists, has made the exhibition for its 18th year all about motherhood. It features interactive works, live painting and a variety of mediums. Sarah Yellin, the Artist Project's sponsor and partnerships lead, says this is the first time the fair has fallen on Mother's Day, so the organizers thought it was a great opportunity to mark the occasion. "Kids get in for free, so you can bring your mom, [there are] gifts at all price points and [it's] just a fun way to celebrate the weekend," she said. Many of the artists participating in the fair are mothers themselves. Artist Jocelyn Teng, who is expecting her second child in August, says being a mother has inspired her work. "I feel like being a mother really made me more confident [about] what I wanted to create. Maybe because there's less time," she said. "I think I also have a stronger sense of play." Teng says she paints landscapes from her childhood growing up in Taipei, and she sees her work in part helps connect her to her children with her own history. "The jungle, the mountain, it was my playground," she said. "I hope through the paintings and the energy that they can feel what it was like for me growing up in a completely different environment." Then there are artists celebrating their own mothers this weekend, like Omar Chris Canales-Cisneros. One of his colourful textile piece shows his grandmother braiding his mother's hair, and his mother braiding his, as he sits with a look of comfort on his face. "It's a piece about lineage, matriarchal lineage. But also, about care," he said. "It means a lot to me to have it here with me today, especially on Mother's Day weekend." Aside from the artwork, there will be a variety of gifts on sale, including balloons and bouquets. The exhibit runs until 6 p.m. Sunday.
