A new contemporary art fair is born in Milan: (un)fair

A new contemporary art fair is born in Milan. It is (un)fair, which presents itself with a “fair-not-fair” format with the aim of creating a new relationship between the general public and contemporary art, today’s galleries and collectors, and between the market and the world of culture. Scheduled to take place in Milan from April 8 to 10, 2022 (invitation-only evening opening on the 7th) in the new 10,000-square-meter space of Superstudio Maxi, (un)fair is directed by Manuela Porcu and Laura Gabellotto, former director and former fair manager of Affordable Art Fair Milano, respectively.

The name (un)fair is meant to be an ironic negation of the very concept of a fair, to invite people to step outside the box and propose new ways of interacting with the art world. (un)fair aims to be a space for contemporary content, conceived as a support for the art system and as a fertile ground for the emergence of new collectors and innovative forms of collecting. Enriching the visitors’ experience will be a rich entertainment program, with special projects, side events, live performances, meetings, talks and DJ sets in the name of reconstructing social relations.

The fair winds through corridors where quality artistic proposals are displayed, with prices for all and in maximum transparency. Sixty international galleries, including Italian and foreign, are participating. Of the 38 Italian galleries, 15 are from Milan, while the foreign countries represented at the fair are Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Holland, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Iran, India and China with Hong Kong. Among the galleries committed to promoting emerging art is Candy Snake Gallery, with its fresh and experimental attitude. The selection of artists focuses mainly on the new generation, focusing on young people who express the present in their works with a vital language permeated by current visual culture. The A.More gallery offers a project dedicated to art and nature, while Looking for art is a reality that works with very promising young artists in whom to invest for the future. In Milan, three galleries in the Maroncelli district, Manuel Zoia Gallery, BIANCHIZARDIN and Maroncelli12, among others, are worth mentioning.

(un)fair also offers visitors a series of talks with guests who talk about art and contamination, proposes special projects and food for thought on topics related to contemporary art, with innovative workshops but also laboratories designed to involve the whole family and cultivate small collectors. There will also be an experimental installation dedicated to artist authorship and the meaning of the concept of “original” in contemporary art. This experiment aims to stimulate reflection on the part of the viewer, inviting them to explore seemingly obvious themes, which in reality when approached from different perspectives may hold unexpected nuances.

The focus of (un)fair is on the latest trends in contemporary art, with particular attention to such themes as: cultural diversity, inclusion, gender equality and sustainability. Special projects include Contemporary Art From Africa - in collaboration with Whitley Neill and AKKA Project, which will be the subject of an in-depth talk with Lidija Kostic Khachatourian. AKKA Project presents a perspective on 4 young African artists-Rodrigo Mabunda (Mozambique, 1985), Nwaneri Kelechi Charles (Lagos, 1994), Cyrus Kabiru (Nairobi, 1984), Pamela Enyonu (Kampala, 1985). AKKA Project is a gallery and project space designed to promote and support primarily artists from the African continent, reinventing the meaning of ’gallery,’ artistically and conceptually, as a force for change for the broader community.

Among the most original initiatives will also be the Today’s (un)fair dance collection, through which visitors can contribute to an unusual collection of gestures, movements and actions constructed at the fair. It makes the performer present a collection and thus consider the body as a museum or gallery, while at the same time making the visitor the one who transmits and receives a dedicated dance, generating conversations about choreography. Still, the first edition of (un)fair is hosting Moving - A Choreographic Dance Experience for Art Goers - By A.ma.sing (aka Masako Matsushita & Ingvild Isaksen), a program of performance experiences that for the first time leaves museums to let audiences experience new ways of interacting with contemporary art, developed in the context of the project Dancing Museums - The Democracy of Beings. This is a kind of visit-dancing to rediscover through movement the art collections, helping the public to engage both intellectually and viscerally with the works.

Finally, the UNTOLD project, to chronicle the creativity, work and passion of female artists, who are often underrepresented. The issue of gender equality in the art world is a sensitive topical issue. In fact, several international researches note that art created by women has lower quotations than that of men. Among the artists at the fair are Naomi Gilon and Ilaria Fasoli (Candy Snake), Elena Pizzato (Supermartek), Lucia Dibi (EOTW), Fe’ (Legart), Cristina Martella (Maroncelli12), Brigitta Rosetti and Emilia Faro (BIANCHIZARDIN), Iranian Dhorsa Ahari working in Berlin (Young Art Hunters) and Spanish artists Anita Suarez De Lezo (Helarea) and Annita Klimt (ddr art gallery).

For all information you can visit the (un)fair website.

In the photo: Superstudio Maxi, headquarters of (un)fair.

A new contemporary art fair is born in Milan: (un)fair

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.