The Other Art Fair, presented by Saatchi Art, returns to London’s Old Truman Brewery this October during one of the most exciting art weeks of the year. The fair is an exceptional showcase for independent artists, offering aspiring collectors and those discovering art for the first time the chance to buy work directly from the next generation of creators.
October 2021 will see the UK’s leading artist fair return to their East London home, with an immersive and quirky programme including a series of exciting features, guest exhibitions, an incredible entrance installation, a sound bath experience, charity collaborations, a live podcast recording, and a hand-poke tattoo pop-up.
The October London fair marks the 50th Global edition and the 20th in London. It will showcase
140 of today’s rising art stars, hand-picked by a committee of industry experts. The 2021 London
selection committee includes Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator and VP Art Advisory, Saatchi Art,
Péjú Oshin, Curator of Young People’s Programme at Tate Modern & Tate Britain, and Kate
Gordon, Founder and CEO of London Art Studies.
Overseen by The Other Art Fair Founder Ryan Stanier the October fair features a rich selection of sculpture, works on paper, photography, and painting from 140 hand-picked artists chosen by the fair’s selection committee, with a 53% Male / 47% Female ratio.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
Henny Beaumont’s moving series Disappearing Women includes portraits of 118 women who lost their lives at the hands of men in Britain in 2020 during the first lockdown and will be on show for the first time since its conception at the fair.
On International Women’s Day 2020, Jess Phillips MP read the names of the 118 women killed by men that year and Beaumont realised the only name she had previously heard of was Sarah Everard. From this, her drawing project was born as part of a drive towards remembering, honouring, and making all these women visible.
Comedian, actor, artist and musician Noel Fielding is guest artist this October and will be showcasing an exclusive exhibition of new paintings and releasing a limited-edition print for just £100. He is known for his playful, psychedelic, and humorous paintings that weave together surrealism, dada and the countercultural references for which he is known such as Mighty Boosh and Luxury Comedy. His works are energetic and animated, creating a trippy feast of colour and an eclectic yet recognisable style.
Ben Moore will curate Me, My Brain, and I with Parkinsons UK, featuring brain sculptures decorated by artists including David Bailey, The Chapman brothers, Gavin Turk, Mr Brainwash, D*FACE, Conrad Shawcross, Hayden Kays, Abigail Fallis and Alex Echo. All proceeds from these pieces will go towards the vital work of Parkinson’s UK.
Meanwhile, a site-specific entrance installation created by artist and illustrator Jasmin Sehra will welcome visitors to the fair. The text-based mural will be a showcase of positive affirmations, tropical plants, and Jasmin’s signature bright and bold designs.
‘20/20: A Brief survey’ project space will be curated by Aida Wilde & Ego. A.Sowinski and bring together the work of forty multi-disciplinary, international artists. Their artwork spans painting, photography, textiles, printmaking, video, sound, sculpture, graphic design and illustration. Promising ‘an immersive and engaging creative experience’ the programming will include “The Art of Pleasure” workshop exploring body, mind, soul, and sexuality, a sound bath and live DJ sets.
The Other Art Fair continues its mission to override the traditional barriers of the contemporary
art world, through New Futures. This being an initiative developed to champion the works of up-and-coming and underrepresented artists. The Other Art Fair awarded two new graduates a complimentary stand and mentoring in the lead up to the fair – Ishmael lartey and Prachi Gothi. Ishmael Lartey combines eclectic source material such as West African cultural flags, graffiti, and anime figures to explore story telling in both traditional and modern ways. He investigates diasporic cultural experience and identity in relation to specific social and political contexts. Prachi Gothi is an Indian abstract painter who creates large energetic abstract works which explore the co-existence of conflicting human emotions.
Helga Stentzel will create a quirky treasure hunt in her typical ‘household surrealism’ style, a
way of taking images where quotidian objects masquerading as animals, people or other objects.
The fair will also include exciting entertainment and unique pop-ups. Hand-poked tattoos will be
available by Sticks not Stones aka Charlotte Lacheussee. Charlotte creates beautifully simple
tattoos inspired by the sensitive details of the natural world.
El Rayo Tequila will host a bar, complete with an exclusive mural by Mexican experimental artist Daniel Barreto, plus visitors will be able to enjoy free tasters of their signature Tequila and Tonic – it might be your first taste of this fresh pairing, but it won’t be your last.
A wonderful selection of artists will be exhibiting in this edition, including 2020 IPA Award Winner Yassen Grigorov, a Bulgarian social documentary and commercial photographer who creates meaningful long form projects exploring micro and macro socio-political issues. Kay Gasei returns to the fair, having been awarded the Kate Bryan Soho House Award in July 2021 for his works exhibited at the previous London Edition of the fair.
He is a Hackney based painter and digital artist who explores myths, symbols, and narratives with
characters such as ‘Od’ set in timeless spaces as a means of understanding his own intellectual and
ontological journey. The all-female collective made up of artists Misa Gott, Blandine Bardeau, Amy Wiggin and Gina Morton, collectively known as Luna Collective, will host a booth bringing their works into conversation.
Artist Joy Bomb’s husband received an ALS diagnosis in 2018, since then her joyful, playful, and colourful installations have taken on a deeper significance. The proceeds from every installation she creates support the Healey Centre for ALS in memory of husband Sean, who passed away in May of 2020. Sara Hoque creates similarly energetic and happy collages with complex significance, from her London based studio/houseboat.
Urban landscape painter Marie Lenclos sees the beautiful in the everyday. Her paintings capture a ‘moment of seeing’ when lines, light, colours, and shapes all fall into a particular order. Also exhibiting will be Tim MacPherson, a very successful commercial and portrait photographer whose work combines personal narrative and humorous overtones with bright colours and a glossy finish.
The Other Art Fair offers astute collectors the chance to discover and purchase work directly from
global contemporary art’s rising stars, with editions now in London, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, Sydney, and Melbourne. Hailed as ‘the future of art’ by The Guardian,
The Other Art Fair will delight and inspire visitors with its diverse and immersive programme that has previously included interactive theatre, taxidermy classes, immersive dining, charity collaborations, guest artist installations, workshops, and a colourful line-up of renowned Guest Artists.
Visitor Information:
The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QR
Nearest stations: Shoreditch High Street, Old Street, Liverpool Street
Opening Hours:
Thursday 14 October 3-5pm / 5-7.30pm / 7.30-10pm
Friday 15 October 1pm-9pm
Saturday 16 October 11am – 7pm
Sunday 17 October 11am – 5pm
©2021 The Other Art Fair, Saatchi Art, Lola Luk, Yassen Grigorov, Joy Bomb, Marie Lenclos
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