RUNNING alongside its sister event, Buy Art Fair, The Manchester Contemporary art fair will return to Spinningfields for its fourth edition from 28 to 30 September 2012 – bringing together art lovers and buyers with the best critically engaged contemporary art.
The Manchester Contemporary is an unmissable event in the British arts calendar
Curated for a third year by Manchester-based gallery The International 3, The Manchester Contemporary will continue to focus on a small number of selected UK and international galleries showing the work of exciting emerging contemporary artists.
Man&Eve gallery: Transfer by Alex Virji
The event provides a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with, and purchase, high quality contemporary art while making new discoveries along the way.
Paul Hobson, director of the Contemporary Art Society, a supporter of The Manchester Contemporary, said: “The Manchester Contemporary represents an unrivalled opportunity outside of London to see and buy affordably priced and carefully selected works of art by a wide range of artists who are attracting interest nationally and internationally.
“Supported by a programme of events designed to make buying art as accessible and enjoyable as possible, and staged in one of the UK’s most dynamic and creative cities, The Manchester Contemporary is an unmissable event in the British arts calendar.”
In previous years, The Manchester Contemporary has profiled the work of over 200 artists and, in turn, welcomed an annual audience of 5,000 who come to see high-calibre, world-class contemporary art galleries and exhibitors.
This year, The Manchester Contemporary will welcome back a core group of regular exhibitors including Ceri Hand Gallery, Arcade, Bureau, Man&Eve, Seventeen, Workplace Gallery and Works|Projects.
WORKS|PROJECTS gallery: Untitled (Je Participe) by Magnus Quaife
Works|Projects will be exhibiting pieces by Manchester artist, Magnus Quaife, who has been longlisted for the Northern Art Prize.
There are some new additions to this year’s line-up too.
Manchester gallery Untitled will exhibit alongside other newcomers Rob Tufnell, Rod Barton Gallery, Rokeby and Ann-Marie Ros Projects, a Dutch collector who will be representing a selection of Dutch and American artists this year.
The Manchester Contemporary is also home to the Project Room where taking up residence is another new Manchester gallery, Paper, located near Victoria Station, which focuses purely on works in paper, and its aim is to present critically engaged artworks for a domestic environment.
Untitled gallery: Seascape 10.03 (2010) by Rick Copsey
Also exhibiting in the Project Room are the Castlefield Gallery, Chinese Arts Centre and Corridor 8, all from Manchester.
Travelling across the Pennines to join the Project Space is Conway gallery and Axis, both based in Leeds.
The Print Room will make a welcome return to The Manchester Contemporary providing opportunities for entry level collecting through the presentation of limited edition prints and multiples.
As well as presenting an engaging collection of contemporary art, The Manchester Contemporary will offer a series guided tours and informative talks by prominent figures from the art world.
Organised by the Contemporary Art Society, the talks will take place on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the event and will be presented by experts including Beatrice Hodgkin, author of Affordable Contemporary Art: A Guide to Buying and Collecting, who will give her tips and insight into investing in original art.
Other speakers include Elizabeth Wewiora from the Chinese Arts Centre, Clarissa Corfe from Castlefield Gallery and David Hancock from Paper gallery.
Sponsors this year include Manchester’s Spinningfields and The Avenue, JMW Solicitors, Clarion PLC, Hetherington Newman and Living Ventures, owners of Australasia, The Alchemist and The Oast House.
The event is also supported by Manchester City Council in the run up to the weekend-long showcase of affordable, original art.
The Manchester Contemporary will take up residence in Quay House, just a few steps away from Buy Art Fair in Hardman Square, for the weekend-long event.
For further information and to register for free tickets, visit themanchestercontemporary.com.
follow @ManContemporary on Twitter and ‘like’ over at facebook.com/TheManchesterContemporary.
The Manchester Contemporary images can also be viewed at flickr.com/exhibition_photos and pinterest.com/mancontemporary
