After Nyne x Moniker Art Fair: The Creative Dynamism of Fair Director Tina Ziegler
Having curated more than 55 art exhibitions working with over 300 international artists, American-German Tina Ziegler has built a reputation as a curator and fair organiser representing the most renowned international proponents of the Pop Surrealist and Urban Contemporary art movement.
In 2010, Ziegler designed and published Hunt and Gather Art, a hardcover art book featuring the work of 45 international artists, published and distributed by Mark Batty NYC. Since 2011, she has co-produced Moniker Art Fair, as a fair coordinator alongside producing and curating exhibitions both independently and for galleries.
Fascinated by the crossover of art, emerging technology and urban culture, Ziegler additionally launched The Art Conference in July 2016 to facilitate a platform for discussion and engagement within the contemporary and urban art worlds, and has more recently been appointed as director of Moniker Art Fair.
After Nyne's Editor Claire Meadows meets this fascinating lady ahead of this fascinating event.
Tina, If you could sum up the Moniker Art Fair in a short paragraph, how would you describe it?
Moniker Art Fair has earned a reputation over the past seven years as one of the most exciting contemporary art fairs, with its roots embedded in urban culture. The fair aims to spotlight emerging and established talent from a burgeoning and increasingly-diverse contemporary art movement, forged by its subversive and innovative spirit.
Staged during London’s most important art week in October, Moniker Art Fair attracts some of the most talked about artists, galleries and collectors from the finer side of the street art movement and its related subcultures.
The Fair is now part of the IWSC Group - how does this affect the Fair experience?
IWSC have a long, successful history of getting the best out of events and are bringing logistical expertise to the table as we move forward, but it’s important to mention that the heart and focus of Moniker will remain unchanged. Moniker’s eclectic program and the overall fair experience will continue to celebrate a generation of artists at the forefront of a unique contemporary art movement, continuously growing and developing the fair while staying true to our urban-roots.
How do you feel the Fair has developed in the time you’ve been involved with it?
When Moniker Art Fair opened its doors in 2010, it welcomed just a few thousand street art fans to Village Underground in Shoreditch, me being one of them. I saw then that the fair was something special and unique to the art fair sector, showcasing just a small collection of international galleries and artists that represented the urban art movement at the time. Since those humble beginnings Moniker has now doubled in gallery size and has gone on to exhibit some of the most talked-about artists from the genre, last year welcoming over 14,000 visitors through our doors with a further increase expected to this year’s edition.
Who are the key figures in the Moniker story?
As is the case with independent art fairs, the key figures are the curators, artists and galleries themselves that have helped shape the Moniker story and those that have helped forge the
urban art movement that we all know and love today. Many galleries and artists who contributed to the fair in the early days have gone on to receive international recognition, such as Katrin Fridriks, Ben Eine, Steve Powers, Herakut, Faith47 and many more, all of which have helped to firmly establish Moniker as London’s premiere event for contemporary art.
What’s new with this year’s programme?
This year we’re going further in creating a truly immersive fair. That extends to our artist installations and exhibitions at Moniker Art Fair 2016: MAF “Open Studios’ gives visitors the chance to meet the artists directly in an immersive setting, while we partner with The Art Conference to offer visitors a chance to debate and discuss contemporary art formally. We are also curating a number of installations with international artists that allow visitors to quite literally ‘engage’ and ‘play’ with the art throughout the fair.
With the launch of the official Moniker Art Fair app, we’re moving into uncharted waters, and even Moniker veterans will be surprised with the use of augmented reality and technology, an industry first for the art market.
What are you personally most looking forward to?
Maser’s ‘Digital Playground’ is going to be something truly special, challenging visitors experiences of art on a literal level, while Jose Montemayor’s Virtual Reality piece promises to offer something very unique to the art fair circuit. For this year’s edition, I wanted to curate something people could physically engage with while experimenting with technology and our relationship with it.
I am curious to see the reaction of the public and understand how technology can work with the arts to create more immersive experiences.
What do you want visitors to take away from the Moniker experience?
We’ve always tried to ensure that those leaving Moniker come away with new ways of looking at art and their own relation to it. Whether or not they take home a piece of original art, they're taking home a new way of understanding how urban and street art can affect change in new contexts. It’s an important job, and a voice that’s often under-represented. It’s why our success has been so humbling for the organisers as we’ve grown.
What are your long-terms goals for the Fair?
Each year we’re keen to explore themes that connect to current affairs and the world around us, so in terms of exploring contemporary art further, we’ll have to see how its place in the world develops. Last year we dealt with Bitcoin, and this year we’re moving further into technological advancements, so it’s safe to say that that will likely become an ever-prominent part of Moniker.
How we interact with our visitors is something that we’re very keen to continue developing, whether that be with our app this year or other as-yet unexplored channels as technology further integrates with the fair. It is safe to say that Moniker will continue to expand in the years to come, and we are even looking to bring the fair to other international cities that share our love for urban culture.
Moniker Art Fair
The Old Truman Brewery 85 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL
Fair opening hours:
Private view: Thursday: 6th October, 5pm-9pm £14 (£11.20 concession)* *Limited tickets available, must be booked in advance
Friday: 7th October, 12pm–9pm £8 (£6 concession)
Saturday: 8th October, 11am–7pm £8 (£6 concession)
Sunday: 9th October, 11am–6pm £8 (£6 concession)
