Of the triumvirate of big names that headlined last year’s inaugural Seattle Art Fair, two will return to the Paul Allen/Vulcan production this coming summer August 4-7: David Zwirner Gallery and Pace Gallery.
No Gagosian. We sure will miss that secret-squirrel viewing box with its own private security guard.
Today the fair announces its early lineup (the second round of applications is open through March 11), including returnees Paul Kasmin Gallery (NY), Charlie James Gallery (LA), Kaikai Kiki Gallery (Tokyo), Donald Ellis Gallery (NY), Allan Stone Projects (NY), Greg Kucera Gallery (Seattle), James Harris Gallery (Seattle), Mariane Ibrahim Gallery (Seattle), Winston Wächter Fine Art (Seattle), Roq La Rue (Seattle), SEASON (Seattle), PDX Contemporary Art (Portland), Upfor (Portland), Jenkins Johnson Gallery (SF), Charles A. Hartman Fine Art (Portland), and Forum Gallery (NY).
Newcomers are: Backslash Gallery (Paris), Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery (New York), Claire Oliver Gallery (New York), Gallery Luisotti (Santa Monica), Jane Lombard Gallery (New York), Jason Jacques Inc. (New York), Jerald Melberg Gallery (Charlotte), Kagedo Japanese Art (Orcas, WA), Marlborough Gallery (New York), Michael Rosenfeld Gallery (New York), Pace/MacGill Gallery (New York), Paul Thiebaud Gallery (San Francisco), Petzel Gallery (New York), ROSEGALLERY (Santa Monica), Sapar Contemporary (New York), Shoshana Wayne Gallery (Santa Monica), and Zieher Smith & Horton (New York).
A major distinguishing feature of last year’s fair was Thinking Currents, the international, museum-quality video exhibition inside CenturyLink Field Events Center away from all of the booths, providing a place within the fair where you could escape its commerce and glitz for a while. It was organized by Afghan-born curator Leeza Ahmady, head of NY’s Asian Contemporary Art Week.
Will this year’s fair emphasize the Pacific Rim that strongly again? Will Ahmady return in any role? I’ve asked, and I’ve also asked to talk with Laura Fried, the independent curator/writer based in LA who will take on the newly created role of Artistic Director for the fair, according to today’s announcement. She’ll organize “pre-fair programmatic activities, on-site and off-site installations, as well as talks, panels, and presentations at the fair.”
