Familiar names, galleries as Affordable Art Fair returns for 15th anniversary
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The Affordable Art Fair has become a place of friendship and community between gallerists and customers over the last 15 years.
PHOTO: COCO MA
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SINGAPORE – For the galleries that return to Affordable Art Fair (AAF) every year, the three-day event is about a community they look forward to seeing again.
Celebrating its 15th anniversary in Singapore, as the first Asia-Pacific branch of the fair that began in London in 1999, AAF has grown in size, popularity and community since 2010.
Helmed by fair director Alan Koh, the 2024 edition will run at the F1 Pit Building from Nov 8 to 10.
Singapore gallery Gnani Arts and London gallery Linda Blackstone Gallery have been part of the fair since 2010 and 2011 respectively, witnessing the growth from its beginning and developing friendships with their regular patrons over the past 15 years.
Currently in Bangalore, India, for an art project, Gnani Arts co-founder P. Gnana, 54, tells The Straits Times via a Zoom call: “I was approached by Camilla Hewitson, who launched the fair in Singapore and was fair director before Alan, about taking part.
“I was a bit hesitant because I didn’t know the Affordable Art Fair name, but Camilla asked me to support them as a local gallery.
“I brought together some emerging artists for that first year and saw how successful it was with the marketing and how everything was run. After that, I don’t think they had any issues getting galleries to take part.”
London gallerist Linda Blackstone’s story dates back to the beginning of the fair.
Ms Blackstone says via a Zoom call from her home in North London: “(AAF founder) Will Ramsay approached me about starting the fair back in 1998 and we launched in 1999.
“I jumped at it because it was exactly the ethos I had been working with and he wanted to bring different galleries together to make art approachable.”
Billing itself as an entry point to collecting art, AAF caps the price of works at $15,000. The majority of pieces on sale are priced at $7,500 and below to attract new buyers.
A total of 83 galleries will take part in AAF this year, 20 of which began participating between 2010 and 2012, and 19 of which are first-timers.
There are 29 Singaporean galleries and 97 Singapore-based artists among the 773 artists at the fair.
Since 1999, Ms Blackstone has travelled to various international branches of the fair, including Singapore, New York and Hong Kong. Over the years, she has witnessed changes in attendee and buyer demographics in both markets.
London gallerist Linda Blackstone (left) participates in multiple Affordable Art Fairs a year internationally.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF LINDA BLACKSTONE
“When we first started in Singapore, it was very much expats coming to buy art, which is what I’m seeing now in Hong Kong.
“In the last few years, I would say that only 1 per cent of my customers are expats and the rest are locals, which is magical and how I think Will wants it to be in each new country he opens up in,” the sprightly 80-year-old says.
She has formed friendships with her fellow gallerists, many of whom will gather for dinner and drinks on the last night of AAF after packing up.
The fair is now a family affair, literally. The eldest of Ms Blackstone’s six grandchildren, Mr Jacob Talbot, has helped with her booths since he was 13 years old and is now the head curator at Bang, a new branch of Linda Blackstone Gallery that focuses on emerging contemporary artists.
Gnana adds that the fair’s success as the first step for new collectors is what draws him. “The clientele I get is not only Singaporean, but of all races.
“We do reach a wide range of new expats every two or three years, but the marketing is really aimed at new art collectors from different parts of the world who have settled here, and that is the main reason I keep going back.”
Artist and Gnani Arts gallery co-founder P. Gnana (right) has made friends with repeat customers in the 14 years of being part of Affordable Art Fair.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF P. GNANA
The fair is also an opportunity to reconnect with customers and introduce them to new artworks.
The artist also makes it a point to keep one of his works for the fair, lowering the usual price to the $15,000 ceiling for existing clientele eager to snag a deal.
Already excited for her return to Singapore, Ms Blackstone adds: “Jacob and I are looking forward to meeting new people and eating good food, and I will continue doing this for as long as my body allows me to.”
Book it / Affordable Art Fair
Where: F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard /
When: Nov 8 to 10; 11am to 6pm on Friday and Sunday, 11am to 7pm on Saturday
Admission: Between $22 (early-bird rate until Nov 3) and $25
Info:
