The Other Art Fair is Representing the Unrepresented

There is a gaping hole in the art world and The Other Art Fair is here to fill it.

Avo-smashers are not only struggling to enter the housing market, they’re finding it hard to get their foot in the paint-splattered door of the art world. And, on the other end of the brush, many emerging artists are struggling to break through and gain the sort of recognition that they deserve.

Ryan Stainer, an art appreciator and a rather cluey bloke, founded The Other Art Fair to bridge this gap.

Far from art-hoarding millionaires and Picasso-types, Stainer’s fairs have been fruitfully promoting unrepresented artists for years now, with lucky punters getting the opportunity to snatch up artworks from the ‘next big thing’ before they hit the big-time. It’s a pleasant symbiosis.

The 2018 edition (which starts today!) is presented by Saatchi Art and will showcase yet another 100 carefully selected, well deserved and super talented artists who are potentially on the cusp of household nameness.

Not only about gawking and buying, this immersive visitor experience will include hand poke tattooing, workshops, interactive art installations, 3D printing, virtual reality, dining options, and various pop-up bars to provide you with a slight buzz as you contemplate your purchases.

Keep an eye out for

• The unpredictably animated watercolours of Matteo Bernasconi
• Valentina Schulte’s incredible knack for capturing urban and natural landscapes
• The cutsie dream pop works of Korean artist, Sanghee Ahn

In the market for some art?

Besides staring at an artwork for an unusually long time, smugly swilling your glass of pinot gris and loudly sighing, “mmmmyesssss”, as you rub your chin with your free hand, there are a few things to remember when buying an artwork.

Set a price limit before you enter and be ready to take a risk. As with many of life’s decisions, in the art world, you have to follow your gut. If you look at a bare canvas with a few precarious dots and a squiggle hiding in the corner and think, “now, that is art!”, well then, my friend, that is art.

The artist will be at their stall, so make sure you ask them about what makes them tick, their artworks and art practice, and enquire about the specific one you’re looking at. Hell, speak to as many people as possible, it’s all research and fresh perspectives.

Where: Australian Technology Park Exhibition Hall, 2 Locomotive Street, Eveleigh

When: March 22-25, 2018

For more info and tickets see The Other Art Fair website.

words by niall roeder