Free Art Fair
Encyclopedia
The Free Art Fair
The Free Art Fair is an exhibition of contemporary art works and performance art that took place in London in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Each fair culminated with all the art works being given away at the end. Jasper Joffe, the founder, claims he set up the fair to "do something different from what everyone else is doing at this time of year and non-commercial, and something that excites people and values art not selling."Background
In 2007 Jasper JoffeJasper Joffe
Jasper Joffe is a British contemporary artist and novelist.-Life and work:Jasper Joffe was born in the United States in 1975 and moved to England when he was eight. He is the brother of artist Chantal Joffe. He studied Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford...
set up the first Free Art Fair with the participation of 25 artists all giving their art away for free in three empty shop spaces in Portman Village, near Marble Arch, London. It was described as the "most radical departure from art fair commerialism" that year.. Taking place in October at the same time as the Frieze Art Fair
Frieze Art Fair
Frieze Art Fair is an international contemporary art fair that takes place every October in London's Regent's Park. The fair is staged by Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, the publishers of frieze magazine...
it was written about as an alternative asking questions of the market driven art fairs.
In 2008 the fair took place again near Marble Arch. It was reported that £100,000 of art was given away with people queuing up for two nights to get artwork by artists including Gavin Turk
Gavin Turk
Gavin Turk is a British artist and one of the Young British Artists . He often uses his own image in life-size sculptures of famous people.-Life and work:...
and Stella Vine
Stella Vine
Stella Vine is an English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting with subject matter drawn from either her personal life of family, friends and school, or rock stars, royalty and celebrities.After a difficult relationship with her stepfather, she left home and in...
.
In 2009 the fair moved to the Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
.. 50 artists participated including Marlene Dumas
Marlene Dumas
Marlene Dumas is a South African born artist and painter who lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Stressing both the physical reality of the human body and its psychological value, Dumas tends...
one of the world's most expensive female artists by auction results at the time.
2007
Participating artists: Artists Anonymous, Centre Of Attention, Matthew Collings, Stuart Cumberland, Stephen Farthing,Rose Gibbs, Alex Hamilton, Peter Harris, Saron Hughes, Lee Johnson, Chantal Joffe, Jasper Joffe,Peter Lamb, Cathy Lomax, Amanda Loomes, Bruce McLean, Stephen Nelson, House of O’Dwyer, Harry Pye, Danny Rolph, Bob & Roberta Smith, Terry Smith, Markus Vater, Edward Ward, Michael Ward
2008
Participating artists Artists Anonymous, Centre of Attention, Matthew Collings, Jimmy Conway-Dyer, Sacha Craddock, Stuart Cumberland, Adam Dant, Stephen Farthing, Rose Gibbs, Luke Gottelier, Alex Hamilton, Peter Harris, Pablo Helguera, Saron Hughes, Lee Johnson, Sayshun Jay, James Jessop, Chantal Joffe, Jasper Joffe, Peter Lamb, Cathy Lomax, Amanda Loomes, Marta Marce, Bruce McLean, Alex Gene Morrison, Stephen Nelson, House of O’Dwyer, Harry Pye, Danny Rolp,h Martin Sexton, Bob & Roberta Smith, Terry Smith, Geraldine Swayne, Chris Tosic, Gavin Turk, Markus Vater, Stella Vine, Michael Ward, Douglas White, Charlie Woolley.With performances by: Laura Wilson, Frog Morris, Lee Campbell, Mark Dean Quinn, Dora Wade, Adrian Le,e Jenny Baines, Rebecca Birch, Calum F.Kerr, Jordan McKenzie, Charlotte Young, Victori Melody, Alex Staiger, Peter Bond, Sarah Turner, Daniel Lehan