The Seattle Art Fair (SAF), now in its fifth year, just announced its 2019 exhibitor list and on-site programming. Taking place from August 1-4 and organized around the theme of "curiosity and wonder," the fair will host daily talks, special projects, performances, and nearly 100 exhibitors from around the globe.
“We were inspired by the Wunderkammers, cabinets of curiosity from the 16th century that displayed artifacts garnered and pilfered from across the seven seas," says curator Nato Thomas, who returns for the second year as Artistic Director. "This program ideally takes the spirit of interdisciplinary, intersectionality and the post-human as touchstones for a 21st-century version.”
The "post-human"!!!!!!!!!
Local exhibitors at SAF 2019 include Greg Kucera Gallery, Winston Wächter Fine Art, Phylogeny Contemporary,
Shift, Linda Hodges Gallery, James Harris Gallery, ZINC contemporary, Traver Gallery, Patricia Rovzar Gallery, J. Rinehart Gallery, Harris Harvey Gallery, THE SPACE from Redmond, and Hall | Spassov Gallery from Bellevue.
Some of the programming highlights look really interesting—most notably "ASMR with Bread Face," an artist that many of you might recognize from Instagram, famous (or infamous?) for smashing her made-up face into various kinds of bread. It's violent and kind of sexy. At SAF, she will be featured in an interactive installation with baked goods that the public will be encouraged to play with. The results will be on display throughout the fair.
Stockholm-based artist duo Bigert & Bergström's exhibition looks equally promising. Known for their work at the intersection between humanity, nature, and technology (like this golden solar egg sauna), they'll be bringing Incubator for Earthquakes to SAF. This piece is a kinetic dinner table structure with a vibrating motor that subjects the dinner table to an earthquake from time to time. So much so, the china rattles. Huh.
Stephanie Dinkins is bringing artificial intelligence to the party with Not The Only One (N'TOO), a multigenerational memoir of a black American family told from the "mind" of an AI with evolving intellect. The AI storyteller draws from data supplied by three generations of women from one family but told from the first person perspective. Visitors are encouraged to talk to sculpture, which will help it evolve. If you need me, I'll be weeping in the corner near this thing.
SAF 2019 will be hosted at CenturyLink Field Event Center. There are tons more interesting and promising exhibitors, programming, talks, and ~art happenings~ scheduled for the fair this year—get more information here.
