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Debate: March 29, 2010

Art fairs are about money not art
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Event Information:
Art fairs, scoff the critics, have become shopping malls for the super-rich. They are giant marketplaces for the wealthy to buy, invest and speculate on the commodity of art. Galleries pressure artists to churn out 'safe', sellable works, which are not so much looked at as bought in bulk. As the critic Jerry Saltz put it, 'art fairs are perfect storms of money, marketability, and instant gratification'. Is this criticism justified? Or are art fairs in fact the perfect format for visitors to see art from all over the world which they wouldn't otherwise see? And by allowing artists to show their work to potential buyers en masse are these shows a crucial lifeline for artists today?

This debate is part of a new initiative presented by the A Foundation called The Economy of the Gift, a boutique-scaled art fair which will take place in Liverpool, 9 April - 22 May 2010. It will present eight artists and eight galleries, and will explore the idea of value in a time of market crisis. The Economy of the Gift has been designed tobuild on the cultural legacy of Liverpool's role as European Capital of Culture in 2008 and will be an annual affair.
The debate took place at: The Saatchi Gallery.
Doors opened at 7:15 pm. The debate started at 7:30 pm and finished at 9:00 pm.
Speakers for the motion:

Louisa Buck Writer and broadcaster on contemporary art, contemporary art columnist for The Art Newspaper, and a regular reviewer on BBC radio and TV. Her books include "Moving Targets 2: A User's Guide to British Art Now", "Market Matters: The Dynamics of the Contemporary Art Market" and "Owning Art: The Contemporary Art Collector's Handbook (co-authored with Judith Greer). She was a judge for the 2005 Turner Prize.

Matthew Collings Artist and writer. He was one of the panellists in the TV series "School of Saatchi" aired on BBC 2 in Nov-Dec 2009. He is currently working on a major series about the Renaissance, also for BBC2. In February 2010 his collaborative paintings - made with Emma Biggs - were shown at the Fine Art Society, Bond Street, London.

Jasper Joffe Painter, writer, and curator. In 2007 he set up The Free Art Fair as an alternative to the art market’s focus on price and status. The Free Art Fair has given away the work of over 50 artists, including Marlene Dumas, Bob & Roberta Smith and a mix of emerging and established artists.
Speakers against the motion:

Sir Norman Rosenthal Freelance curator and writer. He became Exhibitions Secretary of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1977, where he stayed for 30 years, overseeing loan exhibitions and working with distinguished curators. He has been awarded the highest Honours and Decorations from the Italian Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, French Republic and the Federal Republic of Mexico.

Matthew Slotover Co-founder of Frieze magazine in 1991 and the Frieze Art Fair in 2003, an international contemporary art fair that takes place every October in London's Regent's Park. The fair, which Slotover oversees with co-founder Amanda Sharp, showcases new and established artists to visitors from around the world.

Richard Wentworth One of Britain's leading sculptors. Previously Master of the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University, he is now Head of the Royal College of Art's Sculpture Department. From his involvement with the YBAs in the late 1980s, through to his work with the Architectural Association in the 1990s, and latterly through his recent work at the Ruskin, he has played a hugely influential role in contemporary British art.
Chair:

Simon de Pury Chairman and Chief Auctioneer of Phillips de Pury & Company. He is one of the art world's leading figures, renowned for his legendary performance on the auction podium and for his deep and longstanding knowledge of the global marketplace.
The Saatchi Gallery A Foundation
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