The Manchester Contemporary returns to Manchester for its fifth year on 26-29 September. The free art fair, curated by International 3 directors Paulette Terry Brien and Laurence Lane, will this year bring together the work of artists from over 20 galleries from across the UK.
In a new initiative, there will be six project spaces offered to artist-led galleries and organisations, including Castlefield Gallery, Paper and Aid & Abet. Fair Director Thom Hetherington said: “These [the project spaces] have been offered to artist-led organisations and initiatives who are beginning to explore new models of operating within the market from public funded and artist-led perspectives.”
With its focus on emerging talent and critical engagement, Manchester Contemporary describes itself as ‘The largest fair of critically engaging visual art outside of London’, and acts as a counterpoint to sister event, Buy Art Fair, with its focus on affordable art.
Manchester Contemporary’s curators said: “We are delighted to announce that the 2013 edition of The Manchester Contemporary will be the biggest yet with our largest list of participants to date, at least a third of whom will be taking part for the very first time. Alongside a year-on-year growth in audience and ever-increasing sales, this is further evidence of a growing appetite for the high quality art-buying opportunity that The Manchester Contemporary provides.”
Maria Balshaw, Director of Manchester City Art Galleries, commented: “The Manchester Contemporary is starting to do something Manchester urgently needs, which is create excitement, debate and even purchasing of great work emerging from younger artists and galleries across the North.”
Galleries exhibiting this year are: Bureau; Ceri Hand Gallery; Cole; Conway; Division of Labour; IMT Gallery; The International 3; Limoncello Editions; Man&Eve; Platform A; Seventeen; Untitled Gallery; Vitrine; WORKS|PROJECTS; and Workplace Gallery.
www.themanchestercontemporary.com
More on a-n.co.uk:
The Manchester Contemporary: A critically engaged art fair
Manchester’s International 3 gallery to move by Bob Dickinson
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