ARCOmadrid: 29th International Contemporary Art Fair Begins

The 29th annual International Contemporary Art Fair ARCOmadrid is being held February 17-21, 2010.

MADRID — The 29th annual International Contemporary Art Fair ARCOmadrid_2010 will officially open to the public February 19-21. A two-day VIP preview began Wednesday, allowing major collectors, galleries and museums an early opportunity to acquire the artworks for sale.

ARCOmadrid_2010 will feature 221 galleries from 25 countries and 3,000 established and emerging artists. Organizers say the fair's core mission is to drive the art market forward.

For the first time this year, instead of spotlighting a special guest country, ARCOmadrid_2010 will focus on a city - Los Angeles. The fair will feature works from a select group of 17 galleries located in Los Angeles, a city known for being one of the world's art capitals and chosen for its vitality and multiculturalism.

"Los Angeles is holding a spot that has been previously reserved for entire nations this year because it's a very complete contemporary art hub," co-curator Christopher Miles told the LA Times. "It has everything covered: the creation, distribution and critical discussion of art. And people here are very eager to see what Los Angeles has to offer."

ARCOmadrid kicks off the 2010 calendar year of major international contemporary art fairs. 

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ARCOmadrid: 29th International Contemporary Art Fair Begins

Celebs Inaugurate 1st Annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary

The inaugural Art Los Angeles Contemporary international contemporary art fair is being held January 28-31, 2010 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

LOS ANGELES — Recent American Idol guest judge Neil Patrick Harris and Brothers and Sisters star Rachel Griffiths were among the A-listers at Thursday evening's opening gala for the first annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary. The international contemporary art fair is in its inaugural year and continues through Sunday at the 14-acre campus of the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. The event boasts displays from 55 "blue chip" art galleries along with world class artist talks, panel discussions and an artist film screening series.

This premiere January event is part of the annual Los Angeles Arts Month - raising "awareness, appreciation, and participation in the arts in Los Angeles in all forms."

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Celebs Inaugurate 1st Annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary

Art Basel Miami Beach: Comfy Shoes Required

MIAMI BEACH — An estimated 40,000 art enthusiasts, art collectors, artists, dealers, curators and critics will attend the eighth annual Art Basel Miami Beach, America's preeminent contemporary art fair. From December 3-6, the fair, held at Miami Beach Convention Center, will offer contemporary art and rare museum-caliber artworks.

Art Basel Miami Beach is the younger sister of Art Basel Switzerland, held annually in June since 1970.

This year's Art Basel Miami Beach boasts itself as bigger and better - 20% more exhibition space, extra lounge areas, wider aisles and bigger stands - so you'll want to wear comfy shoes in order to see it all. Exclusive selections of more than 250 leading art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa will exhibit 20th and 21st-century artworks by over 2,000 artists. Visitors will also experience an exciting program of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design.

In the city known for its all-night parties, Art Basel Miami Beach always attracts its share of celebrities. So far, early sightings include Lenny Kravitz, Sylvester Stallone, Calvin Klein, Naomi Campbell and John McEnroe. Stallone, who paints when he's not busy acting, unveiled a collection of his artwork at the fair. "I’m not just painting for painting’s sake. I want to be truthful," said Stallone, who reportedly already sold two paintings for $40,000 and $50,000.

Are these early sales a good sign? Tough economic times have caused most art collectors to scale back on their spending, but fair organizers remain optimistic. “What we are seeing, and what we saw at other shows in the fall, is that there is definitely a market for high quality art,” said Art Basel co-director Marc Spiegler.

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Art Basel Miami (December 3-6, 2009) | Website
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[Images: Top - Olaf Breuning, "Colors" (2009), Metro Pictures, New York. | Bottom - (Row 1, Left) Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin. (Row 1, Right) James Cohan Gallery, New York. (Row 2, Left) Niels Borch Jensen Editions & Gallery, Berlin. (Row 2, Right) Mona Hatoum, "Undercurrent (red)" (2008), Galleria Continua, San Gimignano.]

Art Basel Miami Beach: Comfy Shoes Required

PINTA Latin American Contemporary Art Fair Sails Into NYC

CHELSEA, NY — A unique celebration of modern and contemporary art movements - abstract, concrete, neo-concrete, kinetic and conceptual art - had its official opening reception on Thursday evening. Artists, collectors and museum representatives from around the world have arrived in New York for the third annual PINTA; the only contemporary art fair in the United States featuring works exclusively by Latin American artists.

"There is an increased interest in Latin American art from the rest of the world, and now is the time to take advantage of it," explained PINTA's Vice President, Alejandro Zaia.

Museums, artists and 60 galleries from 13 countries are represented at this year's show, taking place in Chelsea's Metropolitan Pavilion. The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Britain's Tate Modern museum, the Harvard Art Museum, the Latin American Art Museum in Buenos Aires (MALBA) and the Tamayo Museum in Mexico will be participating.

PINTA London is slated to take place June 3-6, 2010.

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PINTA (November 19-22, 2009) | Website

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[Photo: Manuel Pailos. Constructivo, 1962.]

PINTA Latin American Contemporary Art Fair Sails Into NYC

Artissima 16 Brings Contemporary Art to Torino

TORINO, ITALY — The international contemporary art fair, Artissima, begins Friday in Torino. Now in its sixteenth year, the dynamic event will bring together an exciting network of emerging artists, gallery owners and curators from around the globe. Fair director Andrea Bellini describes Artissima as "an authentic intellectual adventure, a place where personal encounters, tastes and choices are still important: a type of approach to contemporary art that is dedicated to true collectors and art lovers."

Artissima 16 will be held in and around the Lingotto Building, formerly home a huge Fiat factory complete with a rooftop test track. The fair is divided into sections offering paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, videos, photographs and performances.

Inside the fair:

• MAIN SECTION - the most important Italian and international galleries
• NEW ENTRIES - young galleries taking part in Artissima for the first time
• PRESENT FUTURE - devoted to emerging talent
• CONSTELLATIONS - large-format museum-type works
• LISTEN TO THE WRITER - guided tours for the general public
• ARTISSIMA CINEMA - the world of the visual arts, theater, music, dance, poetry, cinema and video art
• THE STORE - a celebration of art objects, and a critical reflection on the market

Outside the fair:

• BLINDING THE EARS - action, behavior, instant theater
• ARTISSIMA VOLUME - the links, inspiration and influences between the visual arts and music
• ARTISSIMA FUMETTO - from the world of comics: the latest, most up-to-date forms of expression

"Once again, art will take us on innovative and unforeseen journeys, helping us to believe in the power of change and of the imagination," said director Bellini.

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Artissima 16 (Nov. 6 - 8, 2009) @ Lingotto Fiere | Website

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Artissima 16 Brings Contemporary Art to Torino