Manchester Art Fair is an annual event that showcases contemporary art from galleries and artists across the UK and internationally. The fair provides a platform for both established and emerging artists to showcase their work and connect with collectors and art enthusiasts. In addition to the main fair, there are a variety of events and exhibitions that take place throughout the week, including talks, workshops, and special exhibitions. This event provides the opportunity to learn more about the artists and their work, as well as engage with the broader art community.
Manchester Art Fair gave a great insight into opportunities further than the course and offered a perspective to me of galleries who are in the business of representing artists and selling their work and also showing how independent artists are out there networking creating contacts, gaining clients growing their names as an artist and ultimately funding their creative practice.
it was good for me to see a range of artists all coming together under one roof. it really helps me see how the name of the notoriety of the artist really explodes the price of the artwork, where prints of a large addition, can sell for such a high number from the likes of Picasso and Salvador Dali.
What are really found interesting where is the amount of street artists I recognised who had worked being sold by commercial galleries. Also, galleries, solely operate to sell, works from street artists. One of these galleries I came across was Smolensky Gallery founded in 2020 and based in Manchester. After talking with Joe Wilson, the director I found that if I tailored my work, it would definitely fit in within these gallery spaces and be commercially viable.