Melbourne Art Fair 2006

Melbourne Art Fair 2006
2-6 August

Asia Pacific’s premier contemporary art fair held 2 – 6 August.

Melbourne Art Fair 2006 is presented by the Melbourne Art Fair Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, promoting contemporary art and the ethical representation of living artists.

Royal Exhibition Building
Carlton Melbourne
Australia
http://www.melbourneartfair.com
Opening night Vernissage 2 August
Public Days 3 – 6 August


Leading galleries, representing over 900 living artists, exhibiting some 3,000 artworks gather together for Asia Pacific’s premier contemporary art fair.

Held biennially in Melbourne, this exciting event features over 80 galleries from all states and territories of Australia and from Auckland, Wellington, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Rome, Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne. Melbourne Art Fair is an invitation only event showcasing premier galleries from Australia alongside their international peers from Asia and beyond. Melbourne Art Fair Foundation endeavours to present original artworks by living artists represented by leading galleries worldwide.

Melbourne Art Fair is once again held at the historic World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens, Melbourne. Here, galleries will exhibit new work by renown artists including Pat Brassington (Australia), Tracey Moffatt (Australia), Marian Drew (Australia), Bronwyn Oliver (Australia), Ricky Swallow (Australia), George Tjungurrayi (Australia), Michael Parekowhai (New Zealand), Shane Cotton (New Zealand), Callum Innes (UK), Sung Tae Park (Korea), Chi Peng (China), Yang Shaobin (China), Tang Zhigang (China), Michael Lin (Taiwan), Callum Innes (UK) and Tony Cragg (UK). A full list of exhibiting galleries can be viewed at http://www.melbourneartfair.com

The Melbourne Art Fair program includes Project Rooms sponsored by the Melbourne Art Fair Foundation, exhibiting emerging and independent artists, a series of stimulating forums at the National Gallery of Victoria International, keynote lecture by Milan based curator Massimiliano Gioni, Collector Programs and guided tours.

In 2006 the Melbourne Art Fair Foundation has commissioned a feature installation by internationally acclaimed New Zealand artist Michael Parekowhai, whose monumental 8m high x 5m wide, giant inflatable rabbit sculpture “Cosmo” will be exhibited under the central dome of the Royal Exhibition Building.

Melbourne Art Fair key dates are detailed below:

Vernissage in association with Saab
Wednesday 2 August
7-10.30pm
The exclusive opening night preview cocktail party is a premier social event. (Ticket booking is essential.)
vernissage@melbourneartfair.com

Public Days
Thursday 3 August 11am – 7pm
Friday 4 August 11am – 9pm
Saturday 5 August 11am – 7pm
Sunday 6 August 11am – 5pm
Tickets can be purchased at the door

Collectors Package
Includes: 4 day unlimited entry pass, entry to Vernissage and the VIP Lounge. Available for purchase prior to event only.


Melbourne Art Fair 2006: Artist Bar Live Performance
Friday 4 August
6.30-8.30pm

Jon Campbell and Gloss Enamel
Respected Australian painter Jon Campbell has also been immersed in rock music since the mid 1990’s. Jon’s band, Gloss Enamel perform lo-fi, high energy, no frills rock music. For Melbourne Art Fair 2006, the band will showcase songs from their recent self-titled CD release (Gloss Enamel, released Feb 06). Jon Campbell (vocals, guitar, all song compositions), Matt Griffin (Drums) and Chris Dyson (Guitar). Matt and Chris are also Melbourne visual artists.

The Kingpins
The Kingpins are a collaborative group from Sydney whose performance, video and installation works incorporate drag king culture, subversion, pop iconography and musical oddities, challenging our assumptions at every turn and forcing us to re-assess who we think we are.

Melbourne Art Fair 2006 Lecture: LIVE IN YOUR HEAD: Places of Art
Keynote address by Massimiliano Gioni
Monday 31 July
6.00-7.30pm
BMW Edge, Federation Square
Free. General admission

Acclaimed international curator Massimiliano Gioni is the Artistic Director of Trussardi Foundation, Milan; co-curator 4th Berlin Biennial (2006); and, Director of The Wrong Gallery, New York. The Melbourne Art Fair 2006 lecture is presented by Melbourne Art Fair Foundation and the City of Melbourne in association with the Monash University Museum of Art.

Melbourne Art Fair 2006 Forum
Found in Translation: Curating Outside Comfort Zones and
Blindness and Insight: Futures for Art Criticism
Wednesday 2 August
1.00-4.00pm
Clemenger Auditorium, National Gallery of Victoria International
180 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne.
Free. General Admission
Bookings essential +61 (0)3 8662 1555

An afternoon of two stimulating forums, featuring a selection of Melbourne Art Fair invited international guests: Massimiliano Gioni (Artistic Director of the Trussardi Foundation, Milan; co-curator 4th Berlin Biennial; Director, The Wrong Gallery, New York), Gavin Hipkins (Wellington-based artist), Sunhee Kim (Senior Curator at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo), Justin Paton (Curator of Contemporary Art at Dunedin Art Gallery) and Heather Galbraith (Senior Curator at City Gallery Wellington)

Melbourne Art Fair Foundation
Tel +61 (0)3 9416 2050
Fax +61 (0)3 9416 2020
http://www.melbourneartfair.com