Art Frankfurt 2004
07 – 10 May 2004
Art Frankfurt
Hall 1 beneath the Frankfurt
Messeturm tower
Telefon +49 69 75 75-5621
Telefax +49 69 75 75-5883
This year’s Art Frankfurt will once again underline its position as the top market platform for contemporary art in Europe. From May 7 – 10, 165 galleries from 14 countries will exhibit in Hall 1 beneath the Frankfurt Messeturm tower. For many years, Art Frankfurt has served as an important springboard into the international art market for young gallery owners and their artists. More and more galleries from outside Germany are using the fair to reach a broad European audience. The 2004 Art Frankfurt features 39 such galleries, including nine from Switzerland alone and seven from Austria, followed by countries such as France, Spain, the USA, Great Britain, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, and many others.
“Avantgarde” and “Modern” at Art Frankfurt
A number of the international galleries have concentrated on the German-speaking market for some time now, whereas others are making their debut this year. The London gallery owner James Colman for instance has exhibited at Art Frankfurt for many years now: “Germany is an important international market and we would like to take part in it.” Colman also uses the Frankfurt event as an opportunity to exchange exhibitions with colleagues or find representatives for his artists.
Zurich gallery owner Pablo Stahli also appreciates Germany as a significant art market. He has maintained close contact with German artists and collectors since as early as the 1970s. The art market expert explains that Germany is more important for him today than Switzerland. Stahli will exhibit works this year from the Zurich painter and sculptor Henri Spaeti. Another exhibitor from Switzerland is the Zurich Artrepco gallery. They will highlight Andrea Hasler’s bizarre installation of simulated human organs and luxury fetishes. Henze & Ketterer from Bern will feature a solo exhibition of the object artist Daniel Spoerri, one of a total of 30 one-artist shows at Art Frankfurt. Rebecca Ibel from Columbus, Ohio is among the three participating galleries from the USA and will showcase works by two young Americans, Dion Johnson and Daina Higgins. Sonja Roesch, formerly of Germany but now located in Houston, Texas, is providing for transatlantic exchange too. She will exhibit Hills Snyder’s ironic paintings of the American way of life, among other works.
Further information about the galleries as well as an index of artists can be found at: artfrankfurt.messefrankfurt.com/global/de/presse-center_pressetexte-detail.html?guid=mf_ddsp141_5839
Curator’s Choice 2004 – Africa’s contemporary art
The successful “Curator’s Choice” series of exhibitions this year focuses on Africa. The emphasis lies less on art, more on the conditions under which artists work. At Art Frankfurt, the “Camouflage” association, currently the most active initiative of contemporary artists and intellectuals in Africa, will give an insight into the mechanisms and structures of contemporary art production, presentation and reception. The objectives of the association are to establish better networks between contemporary African artists and the international art scene, to create better structures in artists’ home countries and to enable artists to participate in exhibitions, documentaries, magazine articles and their own research projects. Art Frankfurt will highlight all of the association’s areas of activity, including past projects (Observatorio, Area), ongoing projects (Autopsia, the Coartnews magazine, private collections) and future work (for instance the “Triennial of Luanda”, to be realised by the end of 2005).
Further information is available at artfrankfurt.messefrankfurt.com/global/de/presse-center_pressetexte.html
