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C104
article
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Christoph
Draeger/Reynold Reynolds: The last news, 2002,
DVD video,
courtesy galerie Anne de Villepoix |
The Armory
Show New York 2003
CIRCA
attended one of the world's most prominent art fairs,
the New York Armory Show, from 6 - 10 March 2003 and discovered
there is much more to art fairs than just art.
The
New York Armory Show has quickly been established
as one of the most prestigious art fairs in the world,
promoting itself as "the world's pre-eminent showcase
for new art by living artists." Contemporary art galleries
from around the world compete for a stand to present their
finest artists to the buying public and the art world
generally: this year 400 galleries applied for a mere
174 stands. The rigorous selection process appears to
give Armory a certain curatorial edge over other art fairs
on the circuit and it succeeds in providing the necessary
prestige and glamour component.
While not
on the grand scale of ARCO or Basel,
Armory still manages to cover a decent amount of acrage.
It took place in two converted ship terminals - piers
88 and 90 - on Manhattan's far West side of the Hudson
River. Galleries exhibiting hailed from the USA (50% of
the exhibitors, with 70 galleries from New York alone),
Europe, Australia and (one from) Japan, making the Armory's
aspirations to be globally representative incomplete.
However, the galleries attending brought all forms of
contemporary art, including works by over 1,800 artists,
and some exhibited works priced at several million dollars.
The fair was
attended by 23,700 over the four day period and it was
a fascinating people-watching experience, bringing high-profile
and often elusive dealers into contact with the browsing,
buying public. Art fairs offer a platform for rich cross-polinisation
of artistic and commercial dialogue that could not be
achieved within the confines of an art gallery. Art collectors,
buyers, curators, a wide mix of art-related businesses
including art websites, a conglomeration of international
art magazines (including for the first time, CIRCA) and
of course, the artists, mingle over four days and nights
of events, from cocktail parties, soirées, brunches, openings,
launches, through to gala events. There were enough celebrities
to keep industry high flyers amused, plus a VIP lounge
where buyers could relax with a cocktail after a busy
afternoon of collecting. illy sponsored the most bizarre
cocktail party of the show: diamond-clad beautiful people
were treated to coffee martinis and a performance piece
of chimpanzees playing chequers, sad and embarassing in
its attempt to be engaging.
Across town,
scopeNew York - the satellite art fair at
the dylan hotel (lower case in new york is mandatory)
comprised five floors of art that promised to be more
emerging, more 'cutting-edge' than the Armory Show. It
was of course accompanied by the usual panel discussions,
where collectors lectured artists on how create art that
was more collectable. Armory itself made similar noises
in its attempt for curatorial credibility, through a selection
of public art events. This included a site-specific installation
by Victor Matthews commemorating the lives lost at the
World Trade Center, with 2985 hand-painted umbrellas.
The whole installation had to be moved due to an untimely
snow-storm and, ironically, 'security issues', and was
pretty much forgotton about. Organised lectures and discussions
could not compete with the mad rush for free cocktails,
canapés and celebrity spotting.
The hurdles
that presented themselves to the organisers of the fair
were considerable. Apart from the snow and bitterly cold
weather, the threat of war with Iraq was omnipresent.
Conspicuous homages to the terrorist attack of 9/11 and
nationalistic flag-waving had subsided to a more esoteric
anti-war sentiment, largely conflicting with the general
attitude throughout the rest of the USA. War as an artistic
theme was suprisingly little used. One of the exceptions
was a DVD video by Christoph Draeger and Reynold Reynolds
at galerie Anne de Villepoix. The Last News, 2002, was
a mock account of the end of the world, based on the events
of 9/11. Using footage from Hollywood films we watch the
news-reader's growing hysterics as Big Ben is bombed by
terrorists, followed by the Chrysler Building, the White
House, then the entire cities of Paris and New York. As
the destruction increases, the news-reader becomes over-excited
to the point of farce and, although the work is never
actually light or funny, it is a pertinent reminder of
the ludicrous news reporting during and after the 9/11
terrorist attack.
 |
| Kerlin
Gallery's stand at Armory, New York, 2003 |
The sheer
expense of attending Armory meant galleries (from outside
the USA) generally weren't taking risks in their displays,
opting to exhibit selections of works by several artists
rather than work of single artist. As a result, many stands
looked cramped and unattractive. Kerlin Gallery, Ireland's
most internationally recognised gallery, at Armory for
the fifth time, has gained a reputation with its diversity.
Kerlin landed one of the most prominent stands at the
fair and displayed some of Ireland's foremost artists:
Phil Collins, Dorothy Cross, Willie Doherty, Brian Maguire,
Kathy Prendergast, with a large scultpure by Siobhán Hapaska
at the entrance to the gallery section. David Fitzgerald,
co-director of the Kerlin, admitted that, given the political
climate and 'shakiness' in the market, they were prepared
for the worst, but were pleased to report a better-than-expected
result. Fitzgerald also noted that after five years of
exhibiting, there has been a decline in large-scale works,
and the emergence of smaller works on paper, particularly
drawing. This reflects the economic climate, as market-savvy
artists and galleries present more affordable works. Kerlin,
like many galleries cultivating an international reputation,
consider art-fair attendence mandatory in gaining exposure
for their artists, despite the escalating associated costs.
So do the
exhibiting countries give a sense of their nationality
at their stands? Do we gain a sense of the 'Irishness'
for example, from Kerlin's stand? Fitzgerald declares
it can be dangerous to try and tie a sense of nationalism
to their artists. They have earned a reputation internationally
by showing art that is indiviually interesting, and through
global representation and exposure. So what has this resulting
internationism produced? The sheer masses of art at Armory
meant that there was no way the viewer could absorb every
artwork. Art that stimulated aurally and visually became
the most 'successful'. An environment like Armory creates
its own 'survival of the fittest' aesthetic: the work
that shouts loudest lasts longest in the mind.
By the end
of the four-day exhibition, parallels between the Armory
Show and a flea market are becoming more obvious. Snatches
of frenzied haggling are overheard, as buyers try for
the best-possible last-minute price which might suit dealers
who want to avoid paying the freight home. There's the
undenyable stench of complicity and collusion in the bargain
hunting (I'll throw in a free print or a large Pepsi).
However, it does demonstrate how the influences of the
rich art collector differ from the insititutionally supported
and/or government-funded influences which allow the artist
on the periphery to continue to create art that is innately
non-collectable.
While aiming
for cultural credibility, the Armory really only succeeds
as an unapologetically commercial enterprise. Is this
the best that new art has to offer? Maybe not, but there
is still enough interesting new art being created in an
ever-increasing variety of forms. From t-shirts to titaniam,
the fair frisson is still firmly in New York. I left Armory
weary, but thinking how pleasant a few thousand dollars
of pocket money would have been!
Liz Aders
is the Administrator of CIRCA Art Magazine. Her attendence
Armory was made possible by the funding of the Arts Council/An
Chomhairle Ealaíon.
Article reproduced
from CIRCA 104, Summer 2003,
pp. 20-21
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