Moniker's Urban Art Focus Electrified by 'Class Act' 2016 Event

After Nyne's Editor Claire Meadows reflects on this year's Moniker Art Fair

London Art Week has passed, and left in its wake a trail of inspiration, dedication and a feeling that talent and creativity are only a heartbeat away at any one time.

Never was this more evident than at this year's Moniker Art Fair, one of London Art Week's most exciting satellite events. When I turned up, the Old Truman Brewery was buzzing. The excitement was palpable. Within seconds of entering I was assailed by a visual feast that didn't let up from the moment I arrived until the moment I slid across the hall to the Other Art Fair, which shares the space.

The scene was dominated by an 18 metre installation by Maser - playful in tone, astounding in scale, and utterly memorable. The fair was also a hive of industry with Jealous Gallery, Josh Stika, Jess Wilson and Word to Mother all creating prints to sell straight off the press.

I spoke to Eleni Duke of Curious Duke Gallery, who was presenting the Secret Art Prize stall as well as Curious Duke, who said that the crowd was extremely enthusiastic and had responded to this edition of the fair with a zest like never before.

Anna Kovaleva of Imitate Modern, presenting some Warhol-esque prints of King Jong-Un amongst other works confirmed this, saying 'The response has been amazing'.

Moniker has its roots in urban art but the professionalism of the fair, and the ability to see beyond the present into the future brought to the fore by Director Tina Ziegler, meant that it was a class act from start to finish.

Ziegler says “If you’re going to break through to the new breed of collectors and stir aspiration in art lovers, you need to offer new levels of access not only to the works themselves, but the artists and the inspiration. We’ve removed that barrier with subversions of regular fairs this year: our MAF2016 app allows access to hidden content as you scan individual pieces; the artists themselves are on-site to discuss their works; and of course the art we’ve curated allows new levels of immersion in itself.”

I, for one, cannot wait to see where MAF2017 takes us.

Full list of exhibitors and artists

1 Worldart Gallery

2 RISEgallery

3 Virtual Awakening | Jose Montemayor and Bec Abdy

3B Parallel | Darren John

4 Lawrence Alkin Gallery

5 Dynamite Gallery

6 Jealous Gallery

7 Jealous Print Studios

8 MAF Open Studio | Justine Smith

9 MAF Open Studio | Mark McClure