Art-O-Rama couldn’t be further from the Basels and the Friezes of the fair calendar, something which is reflected not only in atmosphere, but also by price point: at around €2,000 for a space, galleries are able to present pieces starting at as little as €500. Exhibitors are also given a generous amount of space with only 21 exhibitors sharing the 2,500m2 space. Highlights include the young Berlin-based gallery Neumeister Bar-Am’s “Dissociations” group presentation, for which exhibiting artist Harm van der Dorpel has created an algorithm entitled “the law of the good neighbor” which has determined the best hanging sequence for the selected works.
Elsewhere, Art-O-Rama veteran, Parisian Galerie Antoine Lévi presented a unique and somewhat entertaining stand. From a starting wish to include all of his gallery’s artists, but to avoid a conventional, cluttered booth, he decided to present a stand void of tangible artworks; in place are letters from the parents of the gallery’s artists, excusing their lack of work. One such correspondence reads
“Dear Mr. Levi, Please excuse the absence of Zoë’s work from l’école Antoine Levi at the Marseille Art Fair. She has been fully occupied in Bridport supervising our cat, Betty…”
Levi intends to sell the works as an entire series, for €6,400, which must be paid for in cash.
According to collectors present at the fair however, it was Parisian gallery 22,48m2 who had the most impressive stand. 22,48m2 was awarded the Roger Palihas Prize for their solo show featuring the work of French artist Cécile Beau.
Art-O-Rama, without a doubt, provides a valuable platform for international galleries to come and meet local collectors — including the likes of the Gensollens who might have one of the most spectacular contemporary collections in the south of France and appear on the selection jury for the fair. What’s more, the gallerists are satisfied in general. “We are just so happy to be able to exhibit this work and see people taking a real interest in these artists that are not yet well known” says Audrey Teichmann, curator of the Geneva-based Galerie Laurence Bernard’s booth. But has anything sold? Neumeister sold one piece and David Marzona sold a work by Nina Canell. But the rumor is Parisian galleries have been less successful in terms of sales. Could it have something to do with the stiflingly hot warehouse that housed the fair? Sweaty conditions presumably made it a little bit more difficult to concentrate on an important purchase. “Everything but the temperature is awesome here” confirmed Jean-Pierre Neumeister.
Without dwelling on the heat, Art-O-Rama has established itself as not only the most relaxed, but probably the coolest fair of the year, aided by iconic graphic design by Huz & Bosshard. An intimate environment, gallerists, collectors and journalists tour the town’s cultural scene together; assistant artistic coordinator Barbara Dieuzayde says that despite widening the intake of galleries from an initial eight in 2007, the selection will remain at around 21 for the foreseeable future in order to conserve this unique atmosphere.
Outside the walls of the fair, we find an homage to the darling boy of the Friche, Gilles Barbier, a local artist who has occupied his studio onsite for over 25 years. He had initially settled there when the space was a true Friche, or in English, wilderness. His retrospective “Écho Système” comprises over 150 pieces and is curated by Gaël Charbau. “I’m very proud” says Charbau, “it is a very important exhibition for the Friche.”
Bolstering the international element of this micro-fair, the exhibition, “The Future is Now!” is also on display at the Friche in honor of The France-Korea Year. The work of 33 artists, including Nam June Paik — who proclaimed “the future is now”— is on display, presenting a survey of new media creation in Korea.
Works from the fair Art-O-Rama will remain on display until September 13.
Gilles Barbier “Écho Système” August 28 2015 — January 3 2016
“The Future is Now” August 29 2015 — November 29 2015
