StART art fair

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This October, Frieze Week will see Saatchi Gallery explode with energy as StART art fair features a massive site specific installation by felt sensation Lucy Sparrow and work by three of Korea’s biggest K-pop artistes, alongside over 70 emerging and established global artists and galleries from more than 25 countries.

Since its first edition in 2014, StART art fair has become known for bringing the work of lesser-known artistic communities to a global public. The Global Eye programme - an exhibition, publishing and awards cycle – has particularly focused on the Far East and in 2020/1, included the first works by K-pop stars from the band Winner - Ohnim and Yooyeon - and independent talent HENRY LAU, who have only recently begun creating visual art, as another form of expression alongside their celebrated music work. Their latest bodies of work will headline at the Saatchi Gallery this October.

The global reach continues in the StART Projects section, which this year will include: brand new work by the K-pop stars and by the pioneers of Thai independent pop music, ModernDog; an installation by the winner of 2020’s Global Eye Award, South African wildlife photographer Chris Fallows; two very different contemporary takes on classical painting by Thai painter and frontman of the rock band, Instinct and Russian artist Dmitry Margolin; young British artist Heidi Pearce’s Uncanny Theory soft animal sculpture; an installation by leading Colombian artist Carlos Salas, brought to the fair by Latin American gallery +MAS Arté Contemporaneo; portraits of screen idols by Aspinall scion, Bassa; the haunting shots of abandoned homes in Namibia by Irish-born Marie Jordan; energetic sculpture and painting by avant-garde Pacific Northwest artist Steve Smith Dla’kwagila; a selection of seven contemporary Italian artists - Spotlight Italia - supported by the Italian Embassy, London; and Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Art’s 2020 Ciclitira Prize winner, Amaranta Peña Carrasco.

StART founder David Ciclitira says, “As we gear up for the 8th edition of StART, I am prouder than ever of the talent we have on display. Rather than having a section of the fair devoted to emerging talent, this Fair is entirely FOR emerging talent, the names of tomorrow. Don’t just watch this space, come and
interact with it!”

Tech partner Samsung is bringing a range of innovations to the fair, including interactive screens that will allow visitors to appear inside their favourite artworks.

Damon Crowhurst, Samsung Electronics (UK & Ireland) Ltd says,"We are happy to partner again with START for a second year, and have increased our tech to include a green screen that will allow visitors to become part of their favourite artwork, we hope everyone will enjoy this year’s event with technology that enables even better life experiences."

StART+, a curated selection of work by StART art fair artists will have an extended exhibition period, from 20 October to 10 November, at The ARX a new 'phygital' concept space bringing together art, technology, superlative craft, and design.  START’s presence at this key Knightsbridge site will include a 24/7, K-pop-curated, exterior video installation, wrapping the entire ground floor frontage of the building in footage that combines artworks and performance. 

The fair will also provide the official launchpad for StART.art, an innovative, e-commerce platform that aims to be a one-stop destination for artists, galleries and collectors worldwide. Selling traditional and digital art, as well as art-based merchandise, artists will be able to mint and sell NFTs on the platform, which will accept crypto-currencies. Unlike other online art sales sites, the works on StART.art will be curated by a high-profile team, led by Dimitri Ozerkov, Director of Contemporary Art at the Hermitage Museum, work- ing alongside Serenella Ciclitira, with curator and founder of the Asian Art Archive Johnson Chang on the advisory panel.

StART.art Managing Director Nicola Gross says: “StART.art is making buying art accessible, practical and fear-free for the new collector, whilst presenting new artists to the established collector. Our collaboration with celebrities – from Asia to Africa - to produce wearable art is one of the exciting directions we have chosen to take. In the future we look forward to extending this range and to adding other features such as timely StART TV.”