Art Forum Berlin
The art forum berlin was an international art fair in Berlin that took place from 1996 to 2010 on the Berlin exhibition grounds . At the end of May 2011, Messe Berlin temporarily withdrew from the art scene; the art forum berlin no longer took place on the originally planned date at the end of September 2011.
history
The first event from October 31 to November 4, 1996 attracted 16,200 visitors and 133 galleries from 17 countries took part. At that time the name of the event was still “European art forum Berlin”. A year later it was renamed “art forum berlin”.
In the following years the number of visitors increased continuously: A survey from 1999 showed that interested parties from abroad were represented with a share of around 19 percent. Most of the international visitors came from Sweden , Denmark , the USA , Italy , Austria and Switzerland . Two thirds of the visitors (68.6%) came to the art forum berlin to find out about the current art scene. 57.7% expressed a more general interest in art. 16.4% sought to exchange information with colleagues. 15.7% of the visitors came with the specific intention of buying something.
Since 2000, the “berlin talks” have offered the opportunity to discuss current issues relating to collecting and exhibiting art with renowned personalities from the international art scene.
The art forum berlin was until 2005 the only art fair in continental Europe, exclusively dedicated to contemporary art production. For historical and geographical reasons, the focus was on galleries from the Nordic countries as well as from Central and Eastern Europe . In addition, from 2001 to 2003 the afb and the Federal Agency for Civic Education organized the discussion series “Europe United”, which presented in particular the art and cultural scenes of the then EU accession countries ( Poland , Hungary , Slovenia , the Czech Republic ). In 2003 the overall concept was streamlined with a more compact field of participants of around 100 international galleries and a presentation similar to an art hall.
Awards ceremonies
The award for the best stand has been awarded since 1998. Prize winners since 1998:
- 1998: Xavier LaBoulbenne, NY (best young gallery), neugerriemschneider (best established gallery)
- 1999: Greene Naftali, NY (best young gallery), Gerhardsen / Kaplan / Wallner (best gallery stand)
- 2000: Modern Institute / Meyer Riegger / China Art Objects (best gallery stand), Sies & Höke, Düsseldorf (best young gallery)
- 2001: Michael Neff and Michelle Maccarone (best gallery stand), Koch and Kesslau (best single stand)
- 2002: Galeria Foksal (best stand), Nourbakhsch / Modern Institute / Meyer Riegger (best gallery stand)
- 2004: Joanna Kamm, Berlin (best freestyle stand), Galerie Johnen + Schöttle, Cologne (best gallery stand)
- 2005: Stella Lohaus, Antwerp (best freestyle stand), Gitte Weise, Sydney (best gallery stand)
- 2006: Ronmandos, Rotterdam (best freestyle stand), Kicken, Berlin (best gallery stand)
- 2007: Iris Kadel, Karlsruhe (best freestyle stand), Galerie Friedrich, Basel (best gallery stand)
- 2008: INGLEBY, Edinburgh (best freestyle stand), SEPTEMBER, Berlin (best gallery stand)
- 2009: Galleries Rodeo, Istanbul (best focus stand), September, Berlin (best gallery stand)
- 2010: Galerie Lüttgenmeijer, Berlin (best focus stand)
art forum berlin 2010
During the fair, international galleries and collectors showed art from the 1960s to the latest art production of the 21st century. The repertoire ranges from painting, sculpture and photography to installations, drawings, graphics, performance and video art. 110 galleries from 20 countries will present themselves, with the afb being divided into three sectors: sector galleries, sector art magazines and cultural institutions and sector focus. The latter is intended for young galleries that have not existed for more than six years. The exhibitors are selected by a selection committee. Robert Meijer (Galerie Lüttgenmeijer, Berlin) and Jocelyn Wolff (Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Paris) are the experts for the sector focus.
A “Host Committee” supported the afb as the host. It was composed of around 200 Berlin personalities from the fields of art and culture as well as politics and business. The governing mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, was the patron and chairman . The art forum berlin 2010 took place at the same time as the art berlin contemporary (abc) .
Development 2011
At the end of May 2011, Messe Berlin withdrew from the art scene, which meant the end for art forum berlin . The art forum berlin did not take place on the planned date at the end of September. The planned merger with art berlin contemporary had failed.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Swantje Karich: The Art Forum is history: Later Zorn . In: FAZ . June 4, 2011, ISSN 0174-4909 ( faz.net ).