Australian Contemporary Art Fair 6
1 - 4 October 1998
Media Release 1 May 1998
Australia's premier showcase of contemporary art - Sixth Australian Contemporary
Art Fair (ACAF 6)
Galerie Düsseldorf Stand
The Sixth Australian Contemporary Art Fair (ACAF 6), held biannually in
Melbourne for four days from 1 October, is Australia's premier showcase of
contemporary art and one of the major international arts events in the Asia Pacific
region.
Held at the historic Royal Exhibition Buildings, the event this year will be bigger
than previous Fairs with confirmation received from international galleries including
Gallery Nishimura (Japan), Gallery Gan (Japan), Gallery Lunami (Japan), Gallery
Yamaki (Japan), Wetterling Teo Gallery (Singapore), Park Ryu Sook Gallery
(Korea), Gallery Samtuh (Korea), Jean Art Gallery (Korea), Hansun Gallery
(Korea), Gow Langsford Gallery (New Zealand) and Tautai Contemporary Pacific
Art Trust (New Zealand).
Over 60 contemporary art galleries from Australia, Asia and the Pacific will
participate in ACAF6 representing over 800 leading contemporary artists including:
Arthur Boyd (Aust), Angela Brennan (Aust), Bill Henson (Aust), Emily Kame
Kngwarreye (Aust), John Nixon (Aust), Ken Whisson (Aust), Tracey Moffat (Aust),
Mick Namarari (Aust), Bronwyn Oliver (Aust), Mike Parr (Aust), Gloria Petyarre
(Aust), Gywn Hanson Piggot (Aust), Howard Taylor (Aust), Rover Thomas (Aust),
Ronnie Tjampitjinpa (Aust), Chang-Sup, Chung (Korea), Park, Hong-Chun
(Korea), Kyung-Hee Shin (Korea), Sung Mook Cho (Korea), Ad Jong Park
(Korea), Chuck Close (USA), Dale Chihuly (USA), Robert Rauschenberg (USA),
Frank Stella (USA), Nakanishi Natsuyuki (Japan), Lucian Freud (Japan), Tokihiro
Sato (Japan), Tadasu Yamamoto (Japan), David Hockney (England), Shane Cotton
(NZ), Dick Frizzell (NZ), Paul Dibble (NZ), Fatu Feu'u (NZ), John Ioane (NZ),
and Kumari (Singapore).
New initiatives for the Fair include the Statements Section which will feature new
Australian commercial galleries: Goddard de Fiddes, (Perth), Gitte Weise Gallery,
(Sydney) and Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, (Melbourne).
ACAF was established in 1988 as part of Australia's bicentennial celebrations and is
a major initiative of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association (ACGA). All
galleries participating in ACAF are selected by a committee of members from the
association.
The Art Fair has an International Collectors Program, free Guided Tours, Forums
and Artists Talks, a Sculpture Program with a specially commissioned installation,
and the new Statements Section.
Title Australian Contemporary Art Fair 6 (ACAF6)
Dates 1 - 4 October, 1998
Venue Royal Exhibition Building, Nicholson St, Carlton
Enquiries 03 9482 5400
Web Page http://www.acaf.net
Components of ACAF 6
International Collectors Program
ACAF's International Collectors Program will feature leading collectors from
Europe, the United States and the Asia Pacific Region. The special program of
activities include: personal guided tours of the Fair; the Opening Night Gala;
meetings with Australian collectors, curators and directors of major cultural
institutions; and a hospitality program sampling Melbourne's fine food and wine.
The Heart Foundation 'Active for Life' Forums & Artists Talks 2-4 October
The Heart Foundation's series of free Forums & Artist Talks organised by Lisa
Warrener and Don Williams of Global Arts Projects includes: Collecting: Fashion or
Fancy-what makes a good collection?; The Public Purse-how does the collecting
practices of public institutions influence the taste and collecting habits of private
purchases of art; and Buying the Dreamtime - why is there so much interest in
indigenous art? On Sunday 4 October, Artists Talk About Inspiration, will feature
international and local artists.
The Heart Foundation 'Active for Life' Guided Tours
Guided tours for new collectors to learn more about the art exhibited and meet with
participating galleries will run daily.
Christine Abrahams Keynote Address
The inaugural Christine Abrahams Keynote Address, in recognition of the
significant contribution made by Christine Abrahams to the Australian Commercial
Galleries Association, ACAF and Australian art and artists, will be presented at 6pm
on 2 October.
Statements Section
ACAF 6 includes a new Statements Section which will feature new Australian
commercial galleries. They are Goddard de Fiddes, (Perth), Gitte Weise Gallery,
(Sydney) and Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, (Melbourne), and featuring works by
artists Cathy Blanchflower, Miriam Stannage, Trevor Vickers, Virginia Ward, Jock
Clutterbuck and Peter Clarke.
Sculpture Program
ACAF commissions a specific installation for the eastern nave of the Royal
Exhibition Building. This year, Australian sculpture, Neil Taylor will create 'The
Slumber Field' a gigantic structure utilizing several hundred mattress springs. Neil
Taylor has been exhibiting since 1975 both in Australia and overseas and is
represented in major public and private collections.
Australian Commercial Galleries Association (ACGA)
The ACGA is an industry association with a membership of the leading fifty-two
commercial galleries in Australia. Member galleries and non-member galleries from
Australia and overseas are eligible to participate in ACAF, as well as independent art
spaces, public galleries, art magazine stands etc. ACAF is supported by public
funding in Australia as government recognises the important role that commercial
galleries who represent contemporary art and living artists play in the development
and advocacy of contemporary art.
Media contact: Julie Morgan Marketing phone (613) 9696 5060.
Bronwyn Johnson
Director
Australian Contemporary Art Fair
PO Box 1251
Fitzroy North 3068
Victoria
AUSTRALIA
phone (61) (3) 9482-5400
fax (61) (3) 9482-2611
email: acaf@vicnet.net.au
web page: www.acaf.net/welcome.htm
Iain Reid.
www master, multi-media consultant.
On line May 22 1998
Update June 12, 1998
Copyright ©1998 ACAF 6
A.V.G