Affordable Art Fair wrap up: online galleries take off at fairs

Henrik Riis of EYESTORM @ AAF HK 2016

The fourth edition of the Affordable Art Hong Kong Fair (aka AAF, shown at HKCEC, 13-15 May 2016) has just passed with an array of new excitement - boosting fun, interaction and an enriching art experience. One highlight alongside this year's 110 gallery booths was 'ARTFUL', a star-studded collaborative TEDxHongKongSalon event featuring live performances and talks from a host of local and international artists. From what I saw, the 3-day fair was well attended with a great turnout, seemingly unaffected by a downturn in the art auction market. 

Making art friendly and accessible to everyone and encouraging first-time art buyers within a chilled-out experience is the key vision of Will Ramsay, who found AAF in 1999. This means every art piece on show at the Hong Kong Fair has to be marked between HK$1,000 and HK$100,000. I met with some gallerists who embrace the concept of affordable art and stand by its relative affordability compared to mega fairs like Art Basel. 

One returning exhibitor was EYESTORM, a leading London-based online gallery which has published limited print editions from established artists including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Andy Goldsworthy, Peter Blake and Marc Quinn. According to its Director Henrik Riis, the gallery has been a veteran AAF exhibitor not only in the Hong Kong Fair, but also other editions in Europe, the United States and Singapore. "We are here primarily to meet up with existing clients. To showcase new works and encountering new customers is only our secondary objective." Founded in 1999 during the internet boom, the non-bricks-and-mortar gallery has been extending its global reach through a cookie-embedded website which displays customers’ local currency and previous favourites, complete with an interactive form and dynamic payment solutions.   Envisaging an exponential growth in online art sales in the next 5 to 10 years, Henrik believes exhibiting in the AAF is a perfect complement to the gallery's online presence.

METTA @ AAF HK 2016

Inasmuch as AAF is suitable for those not running a traditional gallery space, AAF also serves as a launch pad for some startups. METTA, among the 28 participating local galleries, made its debut and is already representing a stable of artists from a variety of talents and backgrounds encompassing art school teachers, musicians and film directors. Works by b. Wing, the celebrated illustrator-artist known for the etiquette trailers for Broadway Cinemas, attracted fans flocking to the booth.  Having received much positive feedback, Pad Chu, METTA's spokesperson, is bullish about this trial and set to join next year's Art Central and AAF.

Amidst crazy rent hikes and with a budget to meet, even experienced galleries have opted for art spaces upstairs or offices tucked away further afield. For local galleries such as Galerie Koo and Neuberg Artspace, having a booth in AAF is like renting a pop-up space to gain exposure from time to time. This thinking might also be applied to some international galleries who are extending their foothold in Hong Kong, China and other Asian regions.

YOD Gallery @AAF HK 2016

Meanwhile it may be an oversight if the AAF has been thought of as serving only small and medium-sized art galleries. With a 56-year history, Osaka-based YOD Gallery has been a veteran exhibitor at AAF and other art fairs. Here, affordable prints by the world-renowned Yayoi Kusama and Yoshimoto Nara could be found as live bait to entice discerning eyes. "Actually we are an established gallery representing artworks at various price ranges, from Gutai to modern and contemporary Japanese art. We are only choosing young and emerging artists here to match the AAF price tag," remarked Ryotaro Ishigami, Chief Executive of YOD.

Some gallerists do admit that they were also selling works not shown inside the booth. Good for them as that implies some buyers are willing to pay beyond the so-called "affordable" price range. Indeed Hong Kong's zero-rate VAT merit can still be very tempting to some expat and mainland collectors. 

(Note: AAF currently has a presence in 11 cities across the world with Singapore and Seoul being the other two Asian cities.)

Posted on Hong Kong Free Press