08 Sep 2008

The Free Art Fair 2008, the art fair where all the work is given away

THE FREE ART FAIR 2008
the art fair where all the work is given away

Following its great success last year, The Free Art Fair returns bigger and bolder and with surprises. The 2008 Free Art Fair involves over 50 artists.

The Free Art Fair is an art fair where all the work is given away at the end. People will have the chance to own pieces by artists from the Saatchi Collection or who have exhibited at the Tate or some of the world's best known galleries like White Cube and Haunch Of Venison. They will also be able to choose art by an exciting new generation of emerging international artists.

For once instead of art going to the highest bidder or those who can afford it, someone who really loves an artwork will be able to have it for free. On the Sunday when the show finishes people will be able to take one piece of art away on a first come first served basis.

The Free Art Fair takes place in two streets in Central London, located between Frieze and Zoo, two of the world's most high-profile art fairs.

This year the fair also includes a program of the best of London's performance art, curated by Lee Campbell and Frog Morris. A 64 page Free Art Fair handbook by acclaimed designer Paulus M.Dreibholz will be given away during the fair.

'I thought we should do something different from what everyone else is doing at this time of year and non-commercial, and something that excites people and values art not selling. This gives anyone the chance to own a serious piece of art.' (Jasper Joffe, founder The Free Art Fair)

Artists Anonymous, Centre of Attention, Matthew Collings, Jimmy Conway-Dyer, Sacha Craddock, Stuart Cumberland, Adam Dant Stephen Farthing, Rose Gibbs, Luke Gottelier, Alex Hamilton, Peter Harris, Pablo Helguera, Saron Hughes, Lee Johnson, Sayshun Jay, James Jessop, Chantal Joffe, Jasper Joffe, Peter Lamb, Cathy Lomax, Amanda Loomes, Marta Marce, Bruce McLean, Alex Gene Morrison, Stephen Nelson, House of O'Dwyer, Harry Pye, Danny Rolph, Martin Sexton, Bob & Roberta Smith, Terry Smith, Geraldine Swayne, Chris Tosic, Gavin Turk, Markus Vater, Stella Vine, Michael Ward, Douglas White, Charlie Woolley

Performance Art by Daniel Lehan, Laura Wilson, Rebecca Birch, Peter Bond, Adrian Lee, Jenny Baines, Frog Morris, Alex Staiger
Marc Quinn, Charlotte Young, Victoria Melody, Jordan McKenzie, Dora Wade,Lee Campbell

THE 2007 FREE ART FAIR
The first Free Art Fair was terrific and provoked heated debate about the value of contemporary art. The Daily Telegraph described it as the 'the most radical departure from art fair commercialism.' Press coverage in all London newspapers/Time Out and national and international media culminated in a live broadcast of the final give away on BBC News 24. People camped out overnight to secure the piece they wanted and by morning the queue snaked through Marylebone with over 700 members of the public registering interest.