30 July – 3 August
Opening night Vernissage 30 July
Royal Exhibition Building
Melbourne Australia
Melbourne Art Fair returns to the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens Melbourne from 30 July to 3 August 2008. Leading galleries representing over 900 living artists, exhibiting some 3,000 artworks gather together at the 11th Melbourne Art Fair, Asia Pacific’s premier contemporary art fair. Melbourne Art Fair 2008 is presented by the Melbourne Art Fair Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation promoting contemporary art and the ethical representation of living artists.
Held biennially, this exciting event features over 80 leading galleries from all states and territories of Australia as well as from Auckland, Wellington, Beijing, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Lucerne, Cologne, Frankfurt and Dublin. Gallery exhibitions are by invitation only and showcase premier galleries from Australia alongside their international peers from Asia and beyond.
Melbourne Art Fair 2008 also includes Artist Commissions; Project Rooms supporting independent artists and curators; and free public Forums and Lecture featuring artists, curators and international guests. All components of the Melbourne Art Fair 2008 program directly benefit the work of living artists.
Exhibiting artists include; Brook Andrew (Aust), James Angus (Aust), Billy Apple (NZ), Lyndall Brown & Charles Green (Aust), Daniel Buren (France), Ian Burns (Aust), Martin Creed (UK), Li Dafang (China), Hayden Fowler (NZ), David Griggs (Aust), Claire Healy & Sean Cordeiro (Aust), David Hookey (Aust), Callum Innes (Scotland), Silvana & Gabriella Mangano (Aust), Samuel Namunidja (Aust), Tomoko Sawada (Japan), Julie Rrap (Aust), Sally Smart (Aust), Louise Weaver (Aust), and Ai Weiwei (China).
The Project Rooms include; Damiano Bertoli (Aust), Jonas Dahlberg (Sweden) and Pat Foster and Jen Berean (Aust) curated by Mark Feary (Aust); Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne (Aust); Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, (Aust); Kyungah Ham (South Korea); Joint Hassles (Aust); Next Wave Festival (Aust); The South Project (Aust); and Anne Zahalka (Aust).
One of the highlights of Melbourne Art Fair is the commissioned works, which are positioned within the Royal Exhibition Building and gifted to an Australian institution at the conclusion of the Fair. Melbourne Art Fair Foundation is delighted to announce that two Australian artists, David Griggs and Peter Hennessey are creating large-scale works through the 2008 Commissions.
Melbourne Art Fair 2008 key events and dates are detailed below:
Melbourne Art Fair 2008 Lecture
Monday 28 July
BMW Edge Federation Square
Cnr Flinders & Swanston Street
6 – 7.30pm, entry from 5.30pm
Free Entry
Melbourne Art Fair Forums
Wednesday 30 Julyb
An afternoon of informative and lively discussion on contemporary art.
Clemenger Auditorium
National Gallery of Victoria International
180 St.Kilda Road Melbourne
12.30 – 5pm
Bookings essential. For bookings contact NGV International
Tel +61 3 86621555
Melbourne Art Fair 2008 Vernissage
Wednesday 30 July
Royal Exhibition Building Melbourne
7 – 10.30pm
Bookings essential
vernissage@melbourneartfair.com
Tel +61 3 9417 5871
For online bookings visit www.melbourneartfair.com
Public Hours:
Thursday 31 July – Sunday 3 August 2008
Royal Exhibition Building Carlton
Thursday 31 July 11 am – 7 pm
Friday 1 August 11 am – 8 pm
Saturday 2 August 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday 3 August 11 am – 5 pm
Catalogue available for purchase
Day Entry tickets at the door
Melbourne Art Fair Foundation
Tel 61 3 9416 2050
Fax 61 3 9416 2020
mail@melbourneartfair.com