Marking its seventh Autumn Edition, Affordable Art Fair Singapore (AAF) was held on November 17 to 20, making it a day shorter than its 2015 edition. Arriving from various areas around the globe such as Singapore, Asia, America, and Europe, 86 galleries took part in showcasing more than 600 artists. Approximately 75 percent of the artworks on sale were priced under S$7,500, making this truly an ‘affordable’ art fair!
“The decision to shrink the number of galleries was made in Autumn 2015 and we carried on that strategy this year, to instead increase the price ceiling to ensure a fresh and quality selection of works, as well as having one less day for the event.” said Alan Koh, Fair Director of AAF.
The fair garnered 12,000 visitors and more than S$3 million in sales, compared with last year’s 15,500 visitors and S$3.9 million in sales. This is only fair considering the challenges in the art market alongside a turbulent time in global economy, though the average visitor and sale per day was comparable with last year’s edition, remaining at S$2,800. Having visited AAF ourselves many times, we can attest to the vibrant atmosphere there. Our friends and colleagues at Art Republik were official partners of AAF, with a delightfully decorated and well-frequented booth at the show too.
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The 2016 Autumn Edition of AAF featured an intensive art education and art therapy theme throughout the fair, with the Art Education Space highlighting a new platform for Wessex Estate artists, Interactive Art Installations, Children’s Art Studio and artists-collaborated workshops by charity groups Woodbridge Hospital Charity Fund and Lensational. This goes in line with the fair’s commitment to engage and educate the public, creating new buyers in a relaxed setting.
“Amidst a tough economy, our average spend and number of visitors per exhibition day remains the same. This comes with the strategic efforts made with each fair with advanced consideration of market conditions and feedback from our galleries and partners. Over S$3 million worth of art was bought with positive feedback from the galleries on meeting new buyers in this edition,” said Koh.
The fair director also emphasized that they would remain dedicated to their core mission of gaining new buyers through education, and to continue shaping the fair according to the local art scene and market environment. These are all to be expected – along with fresh programming and new artists – during the early Spring Edition of the fair, to be held on April 6 to 9 next year.
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