Affordable Art Fair (AAF) 2012, its third installment in Singapore was once again held at the F1 Pit Building from 15th November 2012 to the 18th. What is the AAF exactly? As its namesake suggests, all artwork in the fair have a price range of S$100 to S$10,000, with 75 per cent of the work under $7,500.
This year, the fair hosted a record 86 galleries from various countries with an international mix which occupied two levels as compared to one last year. It also extended the duration opened to the public from 3 to 4 days.
Highlights included the Arty-licious Evening, a charity event held in association with Harper’s Bazaar, the Young Talent Programme in collaboration with Ion Orchard and the Interactive Animation Installation by NYU Tisch School of The Arts. Nevertheless, the galleries were still the main draw for the event and one stood out for us due to a more innovative strategy!
Artemiss Contemporary is a nomadic gallery founded by ex-Parisian banker, Clementine de Forton four years ago in Hong Kong. Her wandering concept is a relatively known practice in Europe but a fresh one that is seldom seen in Asia. What is unique is also her preferred media, where photography takes centre stage and less of paintings that most Asian art buyers are accustomed to.
Photography as art is now a popular and appreciated medium in the Western world with dedicated fairs that draws in a substantial audience. Clementine sees herself as a forerunner in bringing to Asia a contemporary and trendy art form from Europe and America.
Having exhibited works at fairs and creative spaces in Hong Kong and Tokyo, Artemiss has now been based in Singapore for the last six months. The only thing permanent about the gallery is Clementine’s spacious living room. Her walls are adorned with handsomely-framed photographs of the artists she represents exclusively in Asia. She welcomes art lovers and interested collectors to view these pieces over a cup of coffee in her cosy abode because she believes in appreciating art in a relaxed casual environment. In a formal gallery space, one may not be able to translate how an artwork looks in a home setting or sometimes feel uncomfortable enquiring about prices. She typically sources her photo-artists from Europe and her passion for the art she sells is seen through her ownership of at least one artwork from every artist she represents currently.
Affordable Art Fair (Singapore) provided an excellent platform for Clementine to show photography artworks to a wider audience and is also Artemiss’s debut showcase in Singapore. Her represented works are relatively accessible for budding collectors. On the average, they are priced between SGD 3,500-5,000 and are not marked up from what one would pay if they had bought them in Europe. This outing at the fair was an encouraging primer for the gallery, raking in about SGD 50,000 for a medium that is slowly gaining popularity in an Asian context.
Most of the pieces sold were that of French photographer, Christophe Jacrot’s (http://christophejacrot.com/). The theme of most of his photographs is shots of a lone figure (sometimes a duo) under the rain in familiar urban cities like New York, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. On a closer look, the viewer will notice certain interesting details that offers a different perspective in his works; such as the empty rows of chairs in a usually packed Piazza San Marco in Venice (La place est vide), a smiley face on a lamp post in Paris (Le sourire) or the reflections of pedestrians through the wet ground of the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo (Pieton raye).
Another photographer that stood out at the fair was Chilean, Christian McManus (http://www.christianmcmanus.com/). His “Corners of the World” series are essentially manipulated Polaroid images in an enlarged form. The smudgy effects of the photographs produces a dreamy scenery that captures the viewer and on first look gives an impression of a painting but actually isn’t.
Though having no prior art background, Clementine has a keen business sense and is providing art-leasing as one of her services. This allows customers to rent an artwork for a fee over a period of time with an option to purchase after that. Her constant search for exciting photographers will see Artemiss adding Cecile Plaisance and Adrien Boyer to its existing stable of artists. Cecile’s images center around the iconic Barbie doll and Adrien specializes in street photography.
Artemiss will also be participating in Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, happening on 15-17 March 2013.
Artemiss Contemporary is located at 26 Duke’s Road, Singapore 268907
For updates on future exhibitions, like their Facebook page here.
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