Outsider Art Fair to Open January 31st

by Sponsors on January 24, 2013 · 7 comments Sponsor

Henry Darger, "Jennie and her Sisters are Nearly Run Down by Train...", c. 1950s. 18 x 24 inches, watercolor, pencil on paper

Regular readers will know AFC has been interested in the Outsider Art Fair this year. The history, for those who aren’t aware is worth noting too. Founded by Sanford Smith in 1993, the Outsider Art Fair soon became a critical and commercial success and the leading, annual event in the field of Outsider, Self-Taught and Folk Art. Recognized for its maverick spirit, the fair played a vital role in building a passionate collecting community as crowds flocked annually to New York’s Puck Building, the event’s original site during its first 15 years.

Under Wide Open Arts, a new company formed by art dealer Andrew Edlin, the Outsider Art Fair has moved to Chelsea at the site of the former Dia Foundation and will continue to provide a dynamic atmosphere for dealers to showcase compelling and unusual artworks. Visitors to the fair can expect to find prime examples of works by both legendary and newly discovered artists.

The upcoming 21st edition of the fair will host 40 dealers, 10 of whom will be exhibiting for the first time. They include former SITE Santa Fe director Laura Steward, New York’s Laurel Gitlen, Feature Inc., Kinz + Tillou and Vito Schnabel. Rob Tufnell (London), Galérie du Marché (Lausanne) and Pan American Art Projects (Miami) will also be making their OAF debuts in 2013. For a full listing of exhibitors visit outsiderartfair.com.

For the first time, the fair will also host two guest-curated booths featuring solo exhibitions of the renowned Swiss photographer Mario Del Curto and the North Carolina-based artist and creator of the fictitious country, Rocaterrania, Renaldo Kuhler.

A daily program of panel discussions, organized by art historian/curator Valérie Rousseau and will include the participation of Daniel Baumann, Massimiliano Gioni, Ralph Rugoff, Dr. Gail A. Hornstein, Dr. Thomas Röske, Dr. Kent Minturn and Mario Del Curto.

The Outsider Art Fair will take place from January 31 through February 3 at Center548, 548 W 22nd St, New York, NY 10011.

Use the promo code “ afc” to reserve a complimentary 1-day ticket to the fair.

{ 7 comments }

Brian Fernandes-Halloran January 24, 2013 at 6:38 pm

Thank you SPONSORS,
Why is the outsider art fair taking place at the epicenter of artworld insiderdom?

Paddy Johnson January 24, 2013 at 7:15 pm

I think that answer’s in the post Corinna wrote recently about the fair. The old building had a scrappy feel to it. The DIA makes art look so great, so it’s a good venue for a fair. Even Outsider art benefits from a venue that will showcase its strengths.

Brian Fernandes-Halloran January 24, 2013 at 9:02 pm

Yeah DIA is awesome. I don’t think I could turn down having work shown there! But don’t you think it is at least worth delving into the meaning that beautiful space in Chelsea has for a grouping of work that defines itself as outsider. I’m not making a leap here. Its like storing ice in the oven.
We are in an age when site specificity is practically a required aspect of any artists practice. How can we not be critical of showing work in a place that is the antitheses of its defining characteristics?

Paddy Johnson January 24, 2013 at 9:31 pm

Yeah, I see that, but ultimately I don’t think the venue needs to be inline with the conditions of its makers. I do wonder however what someone like Vito Schnabel will sell that’s “outsider”. That’s where my curiosity is piqued.

Brian Fernandes-Halloran January 24, 2013 at 9:42 pm

ha yeah the truth is I’m going to go and Schnabel is the first booth I’m going to look for. But there is a type of charge that one gets in a classy joint in a classy neighborhood, that primes her/him for certain qualities of work and not for others. It may seem like a subtlety but it is significant to the viewing experience.
But the biggest issue is that people who feel they don’t belong in Chelsea will not feel like they belong in the outsider art fair. In other words, outsiders will feel like outsiders at the fair named after them. Whaaaa

Paddy Johnson January 24, 2013 at 9:51 pm

“But the biggest issue is that people who feel they don’t belong in Chelsea will not feel like they belong in the outsider art fair. In other words, outsiders will feel like outsiders at the fair named after them. ”

I think we were talking about this in the office the other day, because, of course, none of us know what the term “outsider” means. It seems like it’s just an ameba like term that may shift with the market, but honestly, that’s an uninformed conclusion. I’m sure the dealers and artists participating in the field have much more informed opinions.

Brian Fernandes-Halloran January 24, 2013 at 10:50 pm

Any conclusion that has the word amoeba in it is informed as far as I’m concerned. thanks for responding.

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: