Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will host the triumphant return of The Melbourne Art Fair 2024. Taking place from the 22nd to the 25th of February, this highly anticipated event pays homage to its 35-year history and promises to be a captivating celebration of contemporary art. Celebrating the theme ‘ketherba/together,’ the show will showcase more than 100 artists and their interdisciplinary practices. The fair intends to honour its rich history and the vibrant and collaborative spirit of the artistic community in Australia and beyond.
Since its inaugural edition in 1988, The Melbourne Art Fair has established itself as a must-attend event for heavyweight galleries and collectors in Australia and the region. Following a four-year pandemic-induced hiatus, the fair returned in 2022 with The Melbourne Art Foundation introducing a revamped format that emphasised significant bodies of work by individual artists.
For this year’s fair, the collective theme of ketherba/together is deeply ingrained in the fair’s essence, with contributions from over 60 galleries and First Nations arts centres collaborating to create a unique collection of work. Each institution will present gallery booths featuring a curated collection of artworks for attendees to explore and appreciate. In addition to the traditional gallery booths, the fair has curated an extensive program of over 50 events, encompassing performances, installations, and new commissions.
The artistic program is organised into three major sectors curated by Shelley McSpedden, Tamsin Hong, and Anador Walsh. Senior curator at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), Shelley McSpedden, presents BEYOND – a collection of large-scale installations and spatial interventions by artists such as Dane Mitchell, Louise Paramor, and Jazz Money.
Tamsin Hong, the Australian-born, London-based exhibitions curator at Serpentine Galleries, has worked with VICE to bring together five moving image artworks for the fair’s VIDEO sector. The program features international artists such as Buhlebezwe Siwani and Geng Xue, providing a global perspective on multimedia art. Moreover, the clothing label Alpha60 will present a non-commercial partnership called PROJECT ROOMS. This will exhibit work for artists Gertrude and Firstdraft, adding a dynamic and innovative dimension to the fair.
Anador Walsh, the founding director of the critical online platform Performance Review, has collected work for an onsite performance program called LIVE. This section features newly commissioned works by emerging Naarm-based artists Diego Ramírez, Georgia Banks, Arini Byng, and Kori Miles. This program adds a live and immersive element to the fair, engaging visitors with the power of performance art.
Finally, the CONVERSATIONS segment brings together a diverse group of thinkers across the creative spectrum to contemplate the future of art, such as a panel talk on rethinking museum collections led by Yorta Yorta curator Kimberley Moulton and a discussion on platforms supporting artistic independence moderated by Artspace Sydney director Alexie Glass-Kantor. There is also an artist talk with Julie Rrap, who was awarded the $100,000 Melbourne Art Foundation 2024 Commission for her life-size bronze sculpture “Standing On My Own Shoulders”.
Despite its smaller size, organisers of the 2024 Melbourne Art Fair have described the exhibition as “boutique” and “compact”, with expect to generate a substantial number of sales by emphasising quality over quantity. In 2022, the fair generated $10.5 million in artwork sales across 53 galleries, indicating its significance in the art world and establishing itself as Australia’s premier art fair.
With the 2024 Melbourne Art Fair preparing to get underway next month, it promises to be a unique blend of tradition and innovation, celebrating the rich history of the fair while pushing the boundaries of contemporary art. With its innovative programs, thought-provoking conversations, and a commitment to artistic excellence, the Melbourne Art Fair remains an essential event on the global art calendar.