Art and Guild fairs were very different, excellent animals
RESPONSES to this year’s Fair and Guild may be varied, but one thing is unanimous - their positions are site perfect. The V&A where both were held is the envy of global fair holders and considered to be the best sites in the world. RoseLee Goldberg director of Performer said “Cape Town can certainly claim to have the best location of any art fair in the world.”
Guild was once again at the Lookout, where it faced a deep cobalt turquoise sea of poetic beauty. While the Art Fair, freed from the confines of a single building, snaked around the harbour outskirts. Although both are involved with the exhibition of art pieces there is no animosity between them. They are very different animals. The Fair fosters the many dimensions of fine art while Guild promotes handmade, limited edition collectible designs from Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
Craft has come a long way since the 19th century when textile designer William Morris, influenced by art critic John Ruskin, rescued it from a post medieval slump. This was an attempt to wrest all things creative from the soulless spewing out of mechanised mass production. Traditionally, design was utilitarian, but this was not necessarily reflected in the prevailing global mindset of many contemporary designers at Guild.
In fact, often it proved to be exactly the opposite as shown by Dutch artist Molenschot and Gone Rural Swaziland’s conceptual indigo construction. Yet both are involved in the high end of hand crafted creations. The introduction of Designers on Site programme proved to be an even more effective way of introducing works to the public compared to last year’s talk programme. Although comparing the two fairs is a bit like comparing apples with pears there are certain comparisons which can be applied to both. Standards of excellence is one, with Art Fair greatly enhanced by its new campus style flow. In keeping with the ethos of Trevyn and Julian McGowan, the finish of many of the pieces exhibited at Guild was of a high standard from the abstract metal extrusion pieces of Studio Swine to the more organic stressed metal tables of DNA, and the Porky Hefer/ Peter Mabeo collaboration of a bamboo cane nest and hard edged wooden furniture. Experimentation with materials normally reserved for industry such as the pumice stone finish of aluminum foam was used in Studio Swine’s cabinets.
With almost double the stands of last year at Guild and a 50% increase in footfall, plus the 45 gallery stands in Art Fair over a 5 day period it was easy to suffer visual overload. The overall sense of Guild was lots of highly polished metal work and the contrast of distressed metal surfaces, machine cut and weathered precious woods and irregular shaped glass work. Whereas the first Guild was met with enthusiasm, this year, there was a sense of slight disappointment. Eclecticism was the most obvious trend at this year’s Fair – one of the high notes. Feedback indicated that visitors enjoyed the variety and quality of exhibits.
Africa held her own in the gaze of international guests in the mix of contemporary African art on display at Fair, and from Guild the work of Senegalese Babacar Niang, Malian Cheick Diallo and Burkino Faso’s Hamed Ouattara of the Design Network Africa.
Director of Performa Goldberg believes that “what’s happening in SA is very exciting. Cape Town has already made its mark on the global art scene and the Art Fair will grow in stature and influence”.