If you want to get a handle on the Israeli art market, Fresh Paint is a very good place to start. As the only proper art fair in Israel, it was founded ten years ago as a ”by invitation only” event, mainly targeting independent artists and collectors. It has opened for the public a few years later, featuring also galleries, artists’ collectives, as well as designers. There has been an increasing attendance of foreign galleries, this year mainly from Hungry and Romania.
Each year the fair is situated in a different venue, usually kept secret before the opening announcement. This way organizers can accommodate for the ever-growing attendance of both exhibitors and visitors. It also keeps a fresh concept of the space, unlike many traditional art fairs that stick to the same venue, and so each year’s edition is quite similar to the prior. For its tenth anniversary Fresh Paint has commissioned artists’ collective Prettimess a large mural on the outside wall of Tel-Aviv Convention Centre, where the fair takes place.
Alongside established galleries, Fresh Paint also nurtures Artists’ Greenhouse, through which 50 emerging up-and-coming Israeli artists are selected to showcase their work and gain access to a potential pool of collectors. The same opportunity is also extended to emerging designers, since the focus of the fair is art and design.
The fair offers three different awards granted by the curators committee, Sotheby’s Israel and Holon Design Museum. The traditional “Secret Postcard” scheme provides an element of excitement as silent bidding is made for postcard produced especially for the fair by different artists that remain anonymous until the end of the bidding. This way you might end up with a really nice small piece by a famous artist for a rather low sum. Proceeds are channeled into community organizations promoting art in less privileged sectors.
I'm really looking forward this event (taking place on 26-30.4.2018) and sure will share with you my impressions in the coming week.
Stay tuned,
Shlomit
