Dublin Art Fair 2008

Dublin Art Fair 2008
RDS Main Hall, September 11-14.

CULTURAL PREHISTORY OF DUBLIN
For a brief guide to Celtic culture
including the early metalworks of the
Celts, see: Celtic Art. For information
about the two earliest styles, which
influenced so many Irish craftsmen
during the golden age of the early Christian era in Ireland, see: Hallstatt
(800-450) and La Tene (450-50 BCE)

Resources

For information about the arts
infrastructure in the 32 counties,
see: Irish Art Organizations.

For the history of visual art, from Newgrange engravings, Celtic
metalwork, illuminated manuscripts
and high cross sculpture to the
Irish Exhibition of Living Art, and
modern greats like William Scott
and Louis le Brocquy, see:
History of Irish Art.

For a general synopsis of culture
see: Visual Arts in Ireland.

For biographies and paintings
of Irish painters, sculptors and
contemporary artists of the 18th,
19th and 20th centuries,
see: Irish Artists.

Dublin Art Fair 2008

Conceived by Art Ireland’s Maria McMenamin, the inaugural 4-day Dublin Art Fair (2008) plays host to almost 60 leading international and Irish galleries - such as, Gormley Fine Art, Green Lane Gallery, Warren Gallery, Solo Arte, Stark Gallery, Tallantyre Gallery and Monster Truck Gallery - and upwards of 1,000 works of art by both established contemporary artists as well as the latest generation of emerging art stars.

Staged in the RDS (Main Hall) from Thursday 11th Sept to Sunday 14th Sept 2008, Dublin Art Fair offers an exciting menu of modern works by leading artists from Ireland and overseas, including: Francis Bacon, Mark O’Neill, Hughie O’Donoghue, Gerard Byrne, David Begley, Eugene Kohn, Andy Warhol, Bridget Riley, Charles Harper, Michael O’Dea, Matt Lamb, Pauline Bewick, Graham Knuttel, Joby Hickey and Diana Kaufman.

While the general economic background to this artfest could be more upbeat, the Irish art market has confounded analysts in the past, and Dublin Art Fair 2008 might easily maintain this tradition. At any rate, with so much top-class 20th and 21st century Irish painting and Irish sculpture on display, along with outstanding International works, it looks like being an ideal opportunity for established art collectors and first-time buyers to see what's available, and - who knows - maybe unearth a bargain.

The Preview Evening (invite-only) will take place on Thursday 11th Sept, followed by three days of public viewing: Friday 12th, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th Sept.

Project Platform

One of the most interesting features of the event is "Project Platform", a special area of the exhibition devoted to supporting the careers of emerging and upcoming artists. This space has been allocated to four non-commercial Dublin based studios, including Monster Truck Studio & Galleries who will be hosting a multi-disciplinary installation by their Norwegian artist in residence, Magnihild Opdol. Another participant in "Project Platform" will be Dublin-born artist, Oisin Byrne, whose origami installation is designed for viewing at ground level. The names of other artists involved will be announced shortly.

For a review of portraiture in Ireland,
see Irish Portrait Artists. For a
summary of landscapes, see Irish
Landscape Artists. For a survey of
20th century genre painting,
see Irish Genre Painters.

Curators Space

Another innovative area of the show profiling up-and-coming contemporary Irish artists is "Curators Space", which presents a selection of works chosen by rising art curator Padraic E. Moore.

Dublin Art Fair 2008 Opening Hours

Thurs 11 September......18.00–21.00 (Invite-only)
Fri 12 September..........12.00–21.00 (General Viewing)
Sat 13 September.........11.00–19.00 (General Viewing)
Sun 14 September........11.00–19.00 (General Viewing)

Admission Fees

General Admission (3 Day)....15 euro
Concession..........................8 euro
OAP/Children...........................free
Exhibition Catalogue.............12 euro

To order group tickets, email: christabel@eriva.com

More Information

Additional press information is available from:

Claire Feely
Elevate PR
46 Fitzwilliam Square
Dublin 2
Phone: 01-662-5652
Fax: 01-662-5654

• For more information about visual arts in Ireland, see: Homepage.
• For more about heritage and culture in the capital's province, see: Visual Arts in Leinster.
• For more about art in Ireland's capital, see: Dublin Visual Arts and Dublin Artists.