Art-O-Rama Fair In Marseille Emphasizes Experimentation, Artist Residencies

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Art-o-rama, an art fair held recently in Marseille, France, showcased an experimental approach to solo and duo presentations. The 20th edition of the fair, hosted at the Friche la Belle de Mai cultural space, featured an international selection of 37 galleries from 18 countries. Among these, 19 were first-time exhibitors, with more than half of those having opened within the past five years.

Galleries from cities like Barcelona, Paris, London, Lima, and Tokyo participated, alongside only three spaces from Marseille itself, reflecting a developing local art scene. Cable Depot, a Sofia-based gallery, presented work by Liz Elton created from biodegradable compost bags. Gallery Hayashi + Art Bridge exhibited an artist duo's project,“Secure Shell,” which included a large installation of industrial materials.

Berlin's Dittrich & Schlechtriem, which typically focuses on the German market, used Art-o-rama for an immersive project. Photographer Lukas Städler created work over the previous month in Marseille, doing shoots, developing film, and making prints locally. Owen Reynolds Clements, a gallery representative, stated,“It's a nice way of engaging and having a product at the end, instead of just shipping prints from Berlin and then putting it on the wall.” Städler's works were priced between €3,500 and €5,000. Clements noted that the August timing of Art-o-rama allowed for deeper engagement, saying,“We're producing not just artwork, but a moment.” He added,“The fair lends itself to that because of the timing and location and the vibe.”

Clara Darrason, whose Paris gallery operates by appointment, presented works centered on ecological themes, a relevant issue following significant summer fires in the south of France. Artist Julia Gault's in situ clay piece,“Vague de Chaleur” (Heat Wave), evoked parched earth, complemented by copper tubes and etchings. Amandine Guruceaga explored pyrophyte plants using recycled PVC, dyed textiles, and paints. Works on Darrason's stand ranged from €2,700 to €8,500. Darrason, making her fair debut, remarked on her“decentered gaze” on the French art world, having grown up in the region and previously running a Brooklyn DIY space in New York.

Ukrainian-born gallerist Viktoriia Velychko, also a first-time participant, founded Velychko Gallery in Paphos, Cyprus. She established an artistic residency in 2022 that served as a“real shelter” after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Velychko, who plans to open a permanent space in October, focuses on socio-political art, aiming to make it“sellable.” Her booth explored themes of“displacement and the soft power of colonialism.” Olga Stein's“Reassembled Light of Colonialism,” made from antique lamps, was priced at €8,000. Michalis Papamichael's paper replicas of domestic interiors, colored with natural Cypriot pigments, were priced at €2,400. Velychko was drawn to Marseille over Athens, seeing it as a Eurocentric reference point, and hopes to participate in LISTE, where many Art-o-rama galleries progress.

Good Weather, an American gallery with locations in Chicago, Little Rock, and North Little Rock, was among the few US exhibitors. It presented text-driven works by Brooklyn-based artist Raque Ford, which sold well. Three smaller pieces, each priced at $2,700, were purchased, and a fourth was on hold. Ford's large poem, priced at $12,000, also sold. Haynes Riley, founder and director of Good Weather and a selection committee member for Art-o-rama, noted that participating for several years has connected him with collectors from Madrid, Bucharest, Brussels, and France. Riley stated that smaller fairs provide a valuable“soft start” for galleries in an environment where“art fairs have become badges or signifiers of success.” He added that such low-cost opportunities are crucial for galleries to gauge long-term viability without excessive financial risk.

Art-o-rama Director Jérôme Pantalacci acknowledged that the fair relies on public funding from the city, region, department, and the Ministère de la Culture.“In France, existing outside of Paris is complicated,” he said, adding that the fair's goal is“to provide support for emerging artists, international and local, since the art market is global anyway.” Riley concluded that Art-o-rama offers a“low entry level to be in a new place, to test something out.” As Good Weather grows, its offerings are starting to exceed Art-o-rama's typical buyer budget, reaching the $10,000 to $20,000 range, indicating the gallery is“growing out of the fair, which is what you want galleries to do.”

We previously reported:

Marseille's Art-o-rama fair is featuring 38 exhibitors, half of them new participants, emphasizing emerging artists and low fees through August 30.

Source: Observer Arts

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