The Affordable Art Fair Hamburg presents contemporary »art for all«

Since the first Affordable Art Fair in London in 1999, its concept, which focuses on high-quality artworks in a price range between EUR 100 and EUR 7,500, has been successful. The Hamburg edition alone, which has been held annually since 2012 with the exception of 2020, regularly attracts around 18,000 visitors. This year, the organizers' aim is to change access to art and culture, appeal to a wider audience and also encourage collecting, under the motto »Art for All« until November 14. Contemporary art by promising up-and-coming artists - this year Arnaldo González from Venezuela is in particular focus − is represented as well as that of established artists such as Gerhard Richter, Stephan Balkenhol and Rosemarie Trockel.

This year, the organizers succeeded in securing the entire, almost 9,000 m² Hall A3 of the exhibition center for the event. Favored by the pandemic-related lower occupancy of the rooms, the available area can be used for an exciting novelty in this year's edition: the Art Park. This space will host large-scale sculptures, installations and video works that would be difficult to present at a traditional booth. In the 1,800 m² area, which also functions as a place to linger and meet thanks to the specially built bar, an installation by Tomislav Topic is particularly eye-catching. Three and a half meters high and hanging from the hall ceiling, it aims to evoke an emotional response from the viewers, evoked by its aesthetic appearance alone. Topic primarily uses fiberglass, a classic building material, as the filigree support for his color selection.

At the Affordable Art Fair, great emphasis is placed on internationality. Among the 70 galleries represented this year, however, there are exclusively European ones − a circumstance that is due to pandemic-related precautionary measures. The program of the galleries, however, leaves nothing to be desired in terms of internationality. Artists from Africa, Asia and South America are also represented, a development that is expected to continue in the coming years.

The fair is up to date both in terms of content − for example, with the first-ever exhibition of NFTs − and in terms of structure, thanks to the online program. This hybrid form of real and online trade fair will probably be retained in the future because of the many advantages. However, as before, the digital portions will only function as a supplement, as fair director Oliver Lähndorf explains. Breaking down social threshold fears of art is one of the main concerns of the trade fair concept and can also be implemented more sustainably during real events. To this end, free themed tours of the art park or "Art under 500 euros" are offered, as well as daily guided tours of the fair at 2 pm and 4 pm. For next year, which marks the tenth anniversary of the Hamburg Affordable Art Fair, a more extensive supporting program such as art talks and workshops is planned as things stand − these events have also been an integral part of the fair in recent years.