Art Paris Art Fair 2015: ROOMS Five Favourites
In the spirit of ‘discovery’ and ‘exploration’, the bywords chosen to define this year’s fair by director Guillaume Piens, we have selected five of our favourite galleries in attendance, each one innovating in different fields across the art world
As it does every spring, the Art Paris Art fair will be taking over Paris’ prestigious Grand Palais from the 26th to 29th of March: inviting 145 galleries from all over the world to showcase their best and brightest contemporary and modern works, this year’s fair has placed a strong emphasis on giving exposure to regions of the art world ‘off the beaten track’. In the spirit of ‘discovery’ and ‘exploration’, the bywords chosen to define this year’s fair by director Guillaume Piens, we have selected five of our favourite galleries in attendance, each one innovating in different fields across the art world.
Flatland Gallery | Amsterdam
Focusing on photography, film and video, Flatland Gallery is a well-established Dutch contemporary art gallery. Attributing its success since its founding in 1984 to a cosmopolitan outlook and independent standpoint, the gallery is known for championing the works of unknown artists and photographers alongside those of their more established counterparts.
Artists to be exhibited at their stall this year include Erwin Olaf, featuring some works from his breathtakingly subtle photograph and video installation 2014 series ‘Waiting’.
Podbielski Contemporary | Berlin
Podbielski Contemporary is one of the 12 galleries under five years old chosen to exhibit in the fair’s Promises section, dedicated to the discovery and promotion of new international talents. The gallery is uniquely aimed toward the representation of artists who narrate the geopolitics of the Balkans, the Middle East, Italy and Germany through transcultural perspectives; artists featuring include Ohad Matalon and Leonora Hamill, whose striking, sun-drenched compositions will bring a flash of Mediterranean flavour to the proceedings.
Galerie Pascaline Mulliez | Paris
With their exhibition space located a short distance from the Grand Palais, Pascaline Mulliez Gallery will be right at home at the fair; returning with a strong portfolio of mixed media artists, we are drawn to this particular gallery for the diverse blend of works set to be exhibited. Highlights include Jean Noël’s eye-popping, colourful sculptures that seem to transcend the conventions of 2D and 3D, sure to contrast nicely with Estonian born Katrin Koskaru’s minimalistic compositions.
Un-Spaced | Paris
Established in 2013, Un-Spaced gallery has quickly made a name for itself – dedicated to working with artists who challenge the boundaries of visual art, the gallery’s portfolio includes both French and international artists, primarily at emerging and mid-career stages.
For the fair, Un-Spaced have prepared a body of work from artists Pierre Labat, Sebastian Wickeroth, Paul Lahana, and Cecile Dupaquier, the pieces juxtaposed with the intention of drawing a critical discourse on form opposing approach.
Galerie Ziegler | Zurich
Last but definitely not least is Zurich’s Ziegler Gallery: established in 1959, the gallery boasts a strong tradition of exhibiting works by world renowned artists including Alberto Giacometti and Pablo Picasso. The gallery will feature some of Swiss artist Ruedi Bechtler’s recent installations, sure to draw attention with their unusual and etherial qualities.
GALLERY FIX 5 Contemporary Galleries in Berlin working with fresh, emerging talent
This year it’s all about Berlin, the German capital of trendsetting and creativity, and with it, a dynamic expanding art scene, rivaled by few other cities in the world
This year it’s all about Berlin, the German capital of trendsetting and creativity, and with it, a dynamic expanding art scene, rivaled by few other cities in the world. And with its influx of art spaces and galleries, the city is show casing some of the hottest, youngest emerging talent for us to discover, and better still, before their meteoric rise to the top.
Here is my list of five contemporary art galleries showcasing diverse, cutting-edge material and the work of a generation not afraid to challenge the nature of art in the digital realm.
BERLINARTPROJECTS | Recharged Reality
Founded in 2006, Berlin Art Projects promotes and supports the work of recently graduated, emerging contemporary artists based in Berlin and Istanbul.
Their up and coming show Recharged reality will display the work of six emerging international artists, Daniel Harms, Ulrich Riedel, Yasam Sasmazer, Eda Soylu, Claudia Vitari and Meike Zopf in a series of drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures that comment on the duality of everyday objects and how our own perception of these objects are shaped by our own thoughts and experiences.
Don’t miss recently graduated Eda Soylu and her beautiful rendition of Dying Flowers, expected to make an appearance towards the end of the show.
‘Recharged Reality’ | 14. March – 23.March
DUVE Berlin | LARSEN
Founded in 2007 by Alexander Duve and Birte Kleemann, DUVE Berlin is a gallery based in Kreuzberg, which has gained a reputation as a leading space for emerging conceptual and minimalist artists at the cusp of their peak. The gallery also exhibits concerts and screenings.
Opening this week, artists Lucas Jardin and sculptor Jean-Sébastien Grégoire will be exhibiting their first German show, LARSEN. Expect a display of large-scale installations, nature and all things modern.
LARSEN | March 6 - April 11, 2015
Johann König Gallery | Alicja Kwade
Situated within the art infused district of Kreuzberg and founded by gallery owner Johann König in 2002, the Johann König Gallery is a contemporary art space for emerging and established artists of a mostly younger generation. The gallery currently represents 27 artists that use a variety of mediums ranging from sculpture and painting, video and photography to performance to sound, which provoke, question and challenge the spaces of the otherwise white walled gallery.
Currently exhibiting are the works of Polish berlin-based artist Alicja Kwade whose works mix art with science to question theories of time, space and light.
‘Etwas Abwesendes, dessen Anwesenheit erwartet wurde’ | 28. February – 18. April 2015
Galerie Nordenhake | GATHERED FATES
The multicultural district of Kreuzberg is one of the trendiest art spots in the city and home to Galerie Nordenhake. Originally founded in Malmo in 1973 and with spaces in both Berlin and Stockholm, Galeria Nordenhake is committed to exhibiting contemporary art in various mediums, with an international focus on both established and emerging artists.
Currently exhibiting are the works of Ignasi Aballí, Mirosław Bałka, Gerard Byrne, Ceal Floyer, Spencer Finch, Hreinn Friðfinnsson, Georg Herold, Sofia Hultén, Zoe Leonard, Meuser, Helen Mirra, Sirous Namazi, Mikael Olsson, Michael Schmidt, Florian Slotawa, Johan Thurfjell, Not Vital and John Zurier, curated by Ignasi Aballí.
January 17 – March 7, 2015
Gallery Taik Persons | Displacement
Gallery Taik Persons is a contemporary art gallery representing established and emerging artists who use photography as their primary medium. Founded by Timothy Persons in 1995 in Helsinki/Finland, the gallery relocated to Berlin in 2005 and continues to display the works of those who make up The Helsinki School.
On March 13, Gallery Taik Persons will present Displacement; the first in a series of curated group exhibitions by young artists Kalle Kataila, Jaana Maijala, Tanja Koljonen and Mikko Rikala, working with (and around) the medium of photography. Maya Byskov and Terhi Tuomi will curate the exhibition.
Not to be missed are the works of Kalle Kataila and his visuals of man tarrying in the face of nature.
March 13 – April 25, 2015