Works by Adugna Kassa, exhibited at the Addis Art Fair Addis Art Fair 2014 Art fairs and festivals have become important venues for promoting artists and sales of art. While there are numerous art fairs and festivals that are conducted globally, leading art festivals include the Edinburgh Festival in Edinburgh, which is the largest arts festival, the Armory Show in New York and the Joburg Art Fair in Johannesburg. Besides exhibiting art works of all genres, and in some cases specified genres such as contemporary art, art fairs and festivals also run artist-led workshops and exceptional programs of arts events. The main objective in carrying out art fairs and festivals is to bring art to a broader local market. In the last ten years, the market in Ethiopian modern and contemporary art has significantly shifted from earlier times. Unlike previous eras where the buying and selling of modern and contemporary art was literally non-existent, a new generation of collectors is increasingly buying art today in a market that is not conducive for first time art buyers. Consequently, the current Ethiopian art market has produced a dark side where prices are ineptly assessed and fixed at exorbitant levels that are not commensurate wth the credibility or skill of the artist, and where forgeries of both European and Ethiopian artists flourish among unknowing collectors. At the heart of this case is the lack of exposure by both artist and collector, as well as the institutions that provide the platform for these trades on authenticity, provenance, art valuations, issues of copyright, stylistic analysis and moreover international art market standards and its contexts. While it is encouraging to see the emergence of a market for modern and contemporary art, it is also imperative to reveal its setbacks as these shortcomings will eventually weaken the genuine growth of modern and contemporary art in our country. In Ethiopia, art fairs and festivals are important venues that can correct these impediments. They make art accessible by giving a platform to both emerging and established artists bringing diverse forms of art into a single stage with prices that directly correlate to the style, experience and international standing of the artist. In this sense, artworks would not be excessively priced than what they deserve to be and moreover will be accessible to a broader local public that otherwise could not afford current price valuations. Although many global art fairs feature both the emerging and the established artist, Addis Art Fair 2014 will nevertheless debut its initial venture on emerging artists who produce cutting edge works but who have no access to the local art market. We intend to feature established artists on subsequent programs. Addis Art Fair will be held annually. The 2014 fair will present young artists who work in a range of media from painting, sculptures, pastels and photography. In addition to familiar forms of modern and contemporary art such as the ones mentioned, the fair will also present artists who work in church paintings, craft, glass, ceramics, jewelry and wood, thus also bringing varied forms of art, craft and decorative work to the community. Although this particular fair will be conducted with local artists, this event eventually aims to initiate a productive cooperation with regional African art and cultural institutions on subsequent programs by establishing a joint platform which will consist of important hubs, such as Nairobi and Khartoum, creating a valuable and significant relationship between artists from the region and local artists. Addis Art Fair 2014 will take place in the Millennium Hall. We aim to fill the main exhibition space with paintings and photography as well as a portion of the space with craft, glass and jewelry booths. Sculptures and woodworks will be placed outside, hence creating a festive and an all- encompassing creative and artistic environment.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 01:50:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015