NEXT Art Fair Brings Cutting-Edge Solo and Special Projects to Chicago and Introduces 100,000 USD
West Collection Prize
Invitational exhibition of emerging art at Merchandise Mart
April 25 – 28, 2008
NEXT, a new invitational art fair installed on the 7th floor of the Merchandise Mart, Chicago, April 25-28, 2008, to complement the 28th Edition of Art Chicago 2008, offers curatorial visions of some of the most important developments in contemporary art.
Featuring special artists projects, NEXT features, among other presentations, scores of works by 08 Whitney Biennial participants, including those of artists Matthew Brannon, Omar Fast, MK Guth, Ruben Ochoa, Amanda Ross-Ho, Eduardo Sarabia, Melanie Schiff, and Javier Tellez.
NEXT also includes solo shows and large scale works by established and up-and-coming artists like Erik Benson, Ian Burns, Graham Dolphin, Marcel Dzama, Jeremy Earhart, Orly Genger, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Stefan Hirsig, Graham Hudson, Marco Maggi, Fabian Marcaccio, Fahamou Pecou, The Royal Art Lodge, Peter Sarkisian, Ricky Swallow, Monique van Genderen, Leo Villarreal and Bucksbaum Award Winner Mark Bradford. Also participating are Venice Biennial veterans AES+F and Guy Ben-Ner; Berlin Biennial artist Suzanne Winterling; Beijing Biennial standout Eri Itol; Istanbul Biennial artist Taiyo Kimura; and Saatchi Collection painters Dan Bayles, Katherine Bernhardt, Angela Dufresne and Angelina Gualdoni—among many other highly innovative artists and artist collectives.
Additionally, NEXT will play host to several major art installations. Among these, the U.S. debut of The Slow Inevitable Death of American Muscle, a major sculptural work by Brooklyn-based artist Jonathan Schipper (courtesy of Pierogi Gallery)—which consists of two automobiles engaged in a real-life, controlled head-on collision.
NEXT is also pleased to announce a special exhibition of the West Collection, one of America’s premier private holdings of contemporary art. Housed inside NEXT’s exhibition floor and curated by Paige West and Lee Stoetzel, the exhibition “Versions of Reality” highlights both emerging and established work by artists in the collection, such as Sebastiaan Bremer, Margarita Cabrera, Chris Jordan, Robert Lazzarini, Joan Linder, Juan Muñoz and Vik Muniz. NEXT is also proud to announce the inaugural version of the West Prize, a 100,000 USD acquisition prize to be distributed among 10 artists, with an additional individual cash prize of 25,000 USD in addition to a West Collection acquisition.
Other highlights will include:
- New Insight, an exhibition curated by former Documenta Curator and Renaissance Society Director Sussane Ghez.
- Young London Gallery Invitational: David Risley, Domobaal, Fred, Hales Gallery, Houldsworth, Madder 139, Man & Eve, Mummery Schnelle, One in the Other, Paradise Row, Rachmaninoff’s, Rokeby, Seventeen.
- Leipzig Gallery Invitational: ASPN, Dogenhaus, Emmanuel Post, Fillip Rosbach, Laden Feur Nichts, Maerzgalerie.
- Young Berlin Invitational: Arratia/Beer, duve Berlin, galerie5213, galerie davide gallo, Galerie Koal, Galerie Metro, Galerie Birgit Ostermeier, Galerie Zink, Goff + Rosenthal, Herrmann & Wagner, Jarmuschek und Partner, Klara Wallner, Kunstagenten, Kuttner Siebert Galerie, loop – raum für aktuelle kunst, MyVisit, Nice & Fit, Wernicke, Wohnmaschine.
- Over 15 Private Collection Tours with shuttle bus service provided for attending dealers.
- Private Openings (selection) at Renaissance Society, Smart Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art (reception for new Director Madeleine Grynsztejn) and Art Institute of Chicago (Tours of New Renzo Piano Contemporary/Modern Wing under construction).
- Curator/Critic/Collector Panels – featuring David Adjaye, Holly Block, Dan Cameron, Toby Devan Lewis, Sarah Gavlak, Dominic Molon, Wangechi Mutu, David Pagel, Cydney Payton, Nancy Portnoy, Franklin Sirmans, Jerome Stern, Paige West, Joan Young and many others.
- Nightly Private Lounge sponsored by Stop Smiling Magazine.
Organized by critic/curator Christian Viveros-Fauné and dealer/art fair organizer Kavi Gupta, and advised by a support team from the Merchandise Mart Properties (The Armory Show, Art Chicago, Volta Show) led by Paul Morris, NEXT is a unique model for experiencing the best of contemporary art. Organized for collectors, curators, critics, dealers, artists and art enthusiasts, the fair represents the NEXT step in the innovative presentation of contemporary art.
Christian Viveros-Faune
Curatorial Advisor, NEXT
646.641.9732
cvfaune@earthlink.net
