"Contemporary art in Africa was on the tips of the world's tongues at the recent 2015 Art Basel show in Switzerland and the 2016 Cape Town Art Fair is the perfect platform from which to continue the conversation," says Matthew Partridge, new director of the Cape Town Art Fair.
"By providing a platform to showcase works by both established and emerging Pan-African and diasporic artists and exposing these artists to new local and international audiences and purchasers, the Cape Town Art Fair has the ability to further a sustainable market for the arts on the continent," adds architect and special projects manager, Laura Vincenti, who has 10 years of experience working as the principle consultant architect for Artissima in Turin.
In 2015, the Fair attracted over 7,000 visitors, with galleries recording upwards of R20 million in sales. The expanded venue will provide the same scale and standards of international art fairs and increase these figures by attracting top galleries from the continent as well as the rest of the world.
As usual, the 2016 Cape Town Art Fair will present the best of both contemporary Pan-African and international art, along with a curated programme. This will include art talks and curated walks by contemporary art world professionals along with special programmes.
Fair manager, Liza Dyason, who has been part of Cape Town Art Fair since its inauguration in 2013, says, "The world is certainly recognising contemporary art from Africa and Cape Town is positioned on the international art world calendar as the city to represent the rich and diverse work on the continent."
For more information on the Cape Town Art Fair, contact either Liza Dyason on 076 550 1422 or az.oc.onalimareif@riaftranwotepac or Katie Brock on 021 702 2280 or az.oc.onalimareif@tra.
