The Alfa Romeo Art Talks opened on day two of the Joburg Art Fair to a considerable audience. Glancing at the programme, the theme for today’s talks, Art and Industry, and the selection of speakers, promised to dish up some serious brain food.
Arja Miller, chief curator from the Kiasma gallery in Helsinki, talked about the forthcoming ARS11 exhibition, an annual event on the Nordic art calendar. The theme for next year’s event is Africa, tracing the African presence in contemporary art and culture with the aim of “bringing good news from Africa” through diverse art offerings. She added that Africa — as a theme — is attracting significant interest in the international art and design communities.
‘Art is as sexy and popular as ever’
Tomaso Galli, who heads up the PR division for Italian fashion brand Prada, discussed the relationship between fashion, art and popular culture, and traced historical collaborations between artists and fashion designers, referencing luxury brand Louis Vuitton as a renowned current example of the integration of art into luxury fashion.
“Art is as sexy and popular as ever,” said Galli, who said he believed that the attention, money and “coolness” that the art world now attracts creates unique collaborative opportunities for brands, even beyond the realm of fashion. The Grolsch/Wanted lounge at the Joburg Art Fair, which features lighting installations made from Grolsch bottle tops, is to Galli, a successful example of this.
In terms of luxury brands providing financial support to the arts, Galli said that brands which simply donate funds and “stick a logo outside events”, are missing out on an opportunity to capitalise on creating cutting-edge brand experiences that speak to an art audience.
Asked if commoditising art through its application to fashion products causes a dilution of the original work, Galli said the resulting global visibility of and access to art made it an avenue worth exploring for designers and artists alike.
Artist and collector Siemon Allen talked about his body of work, which tracks the perception of South Africa in international media. He records mentions of prominent South African issues in publications including the New York Times and the Washington Post with some surprising and often humorous finds. His display of large-scale records at the fair is attracting quite a crowd.
Resourcefulness
Trevyn McGowan from Source, who is exhibiting at the fair in partnership with Southern Guild, discussed the distinctive qualities of South African design. She cited the resourcefulness of local artists and designers as a unique advantage in design. The ability to use whatever we can find to create new and interesting objects is what makes South African design appealing to an international audience, says McGowan.
The exhibition area is alive with activity, but most importantly, sales are being made. If you have some time to spare before it ends on Sunday, the Joburg Art Fair is a great place to art about in.