10 Art Events to visit in 2011

With 201o coming to a close, the Rise Art team is looking ahead to 2011, and planning our schedules around some of next years more intriguing art events. Rise Art will be attending the London staples including the London Art Fair, and Frieze, but our team is particularly excited about these 10 events in London and beyond.

Future Map 10 (13 January – 6 February 2011)

Now in its thirteenth year, Future Map has built a reputation for showcasing a wide variety of great artwork. Featuring works from graduating artists and designers from University of the Arts London this will become an intriguing interactive show, featuring performance, participation, sculpture and installation. Future Map 10 is hosted by the Zabludowicz Collection.

Florence Trust Winter Open Studios (21 – 23 January 2011)

The Florence Trust provides a group of carefully selected artists with the opportunity to work at their studios for one year, encouraging them to push boundaries of their work and to explore new ideas. Housed in an inspiring Grade 1 listed Victorian church the trust opens its doors twice a year for visitors to see the works in progress by the artists-in-residence, most of whom are very promising. Additionally, it will provide us with the opportunity to see new work by Rise Art Artist Andy Wicks. Our tip: Bring a coat – it gets cold in there this time of year.

ARCO Madrid (16 – 20 February 2011)

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2011, ARCO Madrid is going to focus on Russian Contemporary Art this year – something the Rise Art Team is looking forward to discovering!

Armory Show (3 – 6 March 2011)

Visiting the Armory Show in New York is a highlight every year, as it is one of the most established and most exiting art fairs out there, showcasing cutting-edge contemporary art. In addition, as with every fair, there will be plenty of exiting events surrounding the fair. Definitely one of the highlights!

Select (11 – 15 May 2011)

Select Art Fair is going to take place for the first time this year; it promises carefully vetted galleries, artist collectives as well as a curated display of artwork by recent graduates. The Vetting Committee will consist of Andrew Renton, Lisa Le Feuvre, Charlotte Appleyard and Justin Hammond. Another distinguished feature of this fair will be their limit on pricing: no work is allowed to sell for more than £ 5.000,- .

Art HK ( 26 – 29 May 2011)

Hong Kong being a established hub for global commerce and art, it seems only natural that a large contemporary art fair would spring up here sooner or later. Now in its  3rd year as a global event, Art HK has attracted the attention of the art world, with many major galleries on hand. With an emphasis on Asian art and collections, this fair may balance well against the other global fairs.

Venice Biennale (4 June – 27 November 2011)

In its 54th edition, the Venice Biennale will be directed by Bice Curiger – currently curator at Zuerich Kunsthaus and editor-in-chief at Parkett Magazine. The Biennale is entitled ‘Illuminations’. This biennale is well worth the visit for any collector or art enthusiast.

Art Basel (15 – 19 June 2011)

Similar to Frieze and the Armory, Art Basel is one of the global art events that serious collectors are sure to attend. We have included Art Basel on the list because this show is really where modern collecting and the boom of art events began. Perhaps the most established and renowned art fair in the world, Art Basel features over 300 galleries from across the world.

Multiplied (13 – 16 October 2011)

Held simultaneously with Frieze Art Fair, Multiplied is a new fair hosted by the auction house Christie’s focusing on original artworks in limited edition. In many ways, we found 2010’s first edition to be more interesting than Frieze, with a host of UK and international exhibitors showcasing original prints from leading artists. For the budding collector, this event offers a unique entrance into collecting.

Paris Photo (17 – 20 November 2011)

After having enjoyed Paris Photo so much this year, we cannot wait to go back in 2011. Paris Photo in our opinion is becoming the must see photo event of the year.

In addition to all these events, the Rise Art Team is also always looking forward to the Degree Shows taking place in Summer; dates have not yet been released, but lets hope we will find them on here. Some of our favourite degree shows last year were Slade School of Art, Royal College of Art,Goldsmith and Freerange – which boosts a variety of shows from graduating artists around the UK.

Which art events are you looking forward to in 2011?

Collecting: A Beginner’s Guide

As you are reading this entry, we can assume you are interested in art and enjoy engaging with it. However, the idea of buying art for the first time can seem overwhelming, given the myriad of possibilities; the sheer number of mediums, styles and periods make it difficult to know where to start.

There are no rules prevailing on how to start a collection, other than picking to your taste, which will often naturally form a coherent collection with a conceptual framework over time. As you begin to discover your own interests and begin to build confidence in your taste, this will become much easier.

Here are a few tips of advice on how you can start getting involved, acquiring your first piece or start a collection:

1. Buy a work because you enjoy and love it, not because you expect to profit from it.
2. Shop around for art: Visit as many galleries and museums as you can in order to see what is on offer and discover what you like. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for advice.
3. Subscribe to gallery newsletters in order to be invited to openings and special events.
4. Explore outlets: There are not only galleries, but also art fairs, auction houses, degree shows, artists’ studios and online galleries. Art Maps and calendars are generally available at most galleries, listing new shows and previews.
5. Engage with art. Focus on what an artist is trying to communicate rather than traditional standards of aesthetic.
6. Read art magazines; we have listed a number we appreciate here.
7. Do your research: the greater your knowledge, the greater your understanding; the Internet has made it easy to research artists and galleries online.
8. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most people working in the arts do so out of passion, so they enjoy talking about art.
9. Pick the best within your means. Many contemporary artists also create works in limited editions, which are more affordable. Alternatively, seek out younger or lesser-known artists. If price is an issue, seek out regional programs that can help minimize the burden. In England the own art scheme provides collectors with interest free loans for purchases of less than £2000.
10. Once you have bought a work, look after it. The biggest threats are direct light and humidity. You might event want to consider insurance for Art purchases.

A number of books have been written on how to start a collection, such as Owning Art: The Contemporary Art Collector’s Handbook by Louisa Buck and Judith Greer, The Art of Buying Art: An Insider’s Guide to Collecting Contemporary Art by Paige West or Collecting Contemporary by Adam Lindemann. They cover the basics to get you started, but we believe the best way to learn is by doing it!

What was the first work of art you acquired? How did you do it? Share your experiences with the Rise Art community!

How to survive an Art Fair

Art Fairs represent an excellent way of seeing what is ‘out there’ in one place. Galleries are gathered to show curated projects or works by their entire stable of artists, allowing visitors to see a wide range of work. Most fairs have a special theme surrounding them, thereby catering for a variety of tastes and interests.

Multiplied, for example, which specialised in showing contemporary prints and multiples. Pinta Art Fair is focusing  on contemporary Latin American Art.  Frieze Art Fair is the most famous London-based contemporary art fair. The Affordable Art Fair is a great way of discovering affordable works of art. Being interested in contemporary art, you will eventually end up attending at least one of these. Given the ever increasing popularity of these events, they can quickly turn into a real frenzy. Having spent a lot of time at fairs, we believe we might have a few useful tips for how to make the best of  a day at an art fair:

1. Wear comfortable clothes, and ladies, think flats!
2. Be prepared. Check upfront who is exhibiting and note the stands you really want to see.
3. Get a map at the entrance to see where you want to head. It is also handy if you have a bad sense of orientation!
4. Don’t be shy to ask questions to the gallery representative at the stand – that is what they are here for.
5. Leave your contact details with galleries where you saw works of artists that triggered  your interest, so you will receive invitations to future exhibitions as well as news on the particular artist.
6. Bring a notepad and pen to capture the names of galleries and/or artists that appealed most to you.
7. If you are not one of the lucky ones being invited to the preview day, try to avoid rush-hour. Ensure you go at a time and day other people might not be able to.
8. Do take your time – most art fairs are of considerable size and you want to get most out of it – it is impossible to race through Frieze Art Fair in one or two hours if you want to see work.
9. Always have some spare change with you, so you can buy yourself some coffee or water at the coffee shop without having to queue for the cash-machine.
10. Do all of the above and you are in for a wonderful day of discoveries!

Our team’s 10 favourite books on Art, it’s History and Market

With the great amount of books and publications on art available, it might at first seem hard to navigate around and find a good entry point into the subject. Thus, the Rise Art Team has decided to share our top 10 books on art, art history and the art market with you. We would love for everyone to add their favourite book to the post, in order to generate an extensive collection of titles.

Our top 10, in no particular order:

1. The Story of Art – E. H. Gombrich. This highly regarded work provides a comprehensive overview of the history of Western art; it is a great classic by one of the most significant art historians Sir Ernst Gombrich.
2. Seven Days in the Art World – Sarah Thornton. The author illustrates the contemporary art world with seven important events at the high end of the realm. Informative and entertaining.
3. The Intrepid Art Collector – Lisa Hunter. This informative guide represents a great starter reference for the novice, giving confidence on starting a very on little collection.
4. From Manet to Manhattan – Peter Watson. An excellent book providing a good overview of the development of the current art market. However, having been written in 1992, at the time the art market started to boom, it would be great to get an update on today’s status.
5. The $12 Million Stuffed Shark – Don Thompson. If there is an update on the contemporary art market, it is this one.
6. Davenport’s Art Reference and Price Guide – Book and CD-ROM. This is the standard artist directory containing information on over 320,000 international artists, including their biography and pricing information.
7. The Art of the Steal – Christopher Mason. An account of the big price-fixing scandal by two major auction houses: Christie’s and Sotheby’s. If involved in the art world, you should know about it; further, it really helps understanding the auction business.
8. The Power of Art – Simon Schama Originally a TV series of the BBC, it was later turned into a book and is an incredibly accessible read; the author’s passion for the subject comes through, making it a very enjoyable read.
9. The Art Crowd – Sophy Burnham. Illustrates the art scene very well; it might have been written a while ago, but is still accurate.
10. Styles, schools and Movements – Amy Dempsey. An encyclopaedic guide to modern art. With all the styles and media currently around, this proves very insightful.

That’s it, those are our favourite 10 books. Get started, add your favourite read!