Oh, now I get it ...

For anyone that missed the utterly inane Campbell Live interview with British art critic Matthew Collings at the Auckland Art Fair last night, the video is available here:

Matthew Colling interview-TV3 website

Sample out-take:

Jaquie Brown: I hate binary code.

Matthew Collings: I'm so primitive I don't even think about binary code. I just think ovals and straight lines. And in this one they're nice and brown and black and in that one they're these weird kind of muted colours.

JB: And what's it saying? What am I meant to think?

MC: I don't think its saying anything about binary code. But maybe it is. If so, I have absolutely no idea about what that might be. Maybe it's representations of God.

JB: God, you're so deep.

Image: Peter Robinson, One Lives, 2006. Lamda print. 50 x 30cm. Image from the Sue Crockford Gallery website.

Collecting: same or different?

Continuing on from last week's post about the Auckland Art Fair, two pieces of writing on hedge fund type collecting.

On artnet.com, an article by Charlie Finch titled 'A New Market Theory of Art', which concludes:

"Herd behavior by collectors at art fairs is stimulated by these new realities [hedge fund type collecting]. Nobody wishes to strike gold, because they already have gold: what these collectors want is status and cachet and, let’s face it, more gold. Greed is good. But art suffers in this context, because it functions solely as an economic and social marker, always subject to immediate obsolescence, should economic realities change. Yes, everyone is making money, but the money is really making them."

And Edward Winkleman, who's commenting on the Finch article in a post titled 'Looking for Fairness in the Age of Art Fairs'.

Collecting art - it's, like, so hot right now

This May the second Auckland Art Fair is being held in the Viaduct Harbour. Overthenet has posted a list of dealer galleries who have joined the event, after apparently sitting back and watching the inaugural event, have signed up for this one.

On the AAF's website, Jennifer Buckley and Deborah White describe the event's objective: "to secure Auckland a place on an International Art Fair circuit which includes Melbourne, Basel, Miami and London and we expect it to produce significant long term economic benefits for artists, galleries and Auckland City.".

The aim of the AAF is to "provide the opportunity for existing and aspiring art collectors and aficionados to meet and discuss their art interests with the people who have an extensive knowledge of – and dedication to – their profession."

The best bit though is the inclusion of this quote, from Elaine W. Ng, Editor-in-Chief, Art Asia Pacific:

“Art fairs are the new Biennales. Even the New York Times coverage of Art Basel Miami describes it as an event where 'young, hip hedge-fund managers, Fortune 500 executives and A-list actors are shopping side by side in a spree fuelled by new wealth, a hot art market and the headlong pursuit of membership in a glamorous , elite club'.”

Auckland - the new Miami.