After Nyne x Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair: Meeting Co-Founder Lizzie Glendinning
The UK’s largest contemporary print fair is set to run from 17-20 November 2016 at the Royal Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich. Curated by Brocket Gallery London, Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair will sell original, affordable prints alongside demonstrations, artist tours and advice on how to start an art collection.
Last week we announced that After Nyne are an official media partner for the Fair and will be releasing a series of exclusive interviews and reviews taking our readers behind the scenes of this exciting new event.
Our first is with Lizzie Glendinning, curator of Brocket Gallery and Co-Founder of the Fair. Lizzie tells us what makes this Fair unique on the London art fair scene, what drew her to Woolwich as the venue and her highlight of the event programme.
Lizzie, what was the starting point of the thought process behind the Fair?
As a gallery we've always been fascinated with the processes of printing and held an exhibition last autumn called 'Collector's Edition' to encourage a new audience and introduce the concept of using prints as a starting point to learn about an artist, their techniques and portfolio and ultimately start a collection of good quality pieces that could evolve.
We held an installation showcase for Italian artist Samuele Sinibaldi at the site in early summer and were invited by the developers to return to bring further culture to the area. The old carriage factory and the Arsenal itself is such an impressive setting and so large, we had to think of something on a large scale which is why we thought to develop the original contemporary print idea.
What aspects of your art background have equipped you for the scale of this Fair?
I studied Art History for a BA and went on to Fashion Curation for an MA so I have the academic and vocational experience as a basis. I ran an Asian art gallery in Mayfair for a couple of years while continuing with freelance curatorial work so I'm adept to coordinating large scale exhibitions, art fairs and selling work. My husband and business partner is a painter and printmaker himself and similarly works as an art technician, building exhibitions on a daily basis.
What attracted you to Woolwich? What makes it the ideal location for this event?
Woolwich is really on the cusp of something special in terms of art and culture. Huge old factories and redundant warehouses for the docks and military equipment mean it is an incredibly versatile and impressive site. No one has yet utilised the Royal Woolwich Arsenal for such a large scale art event, where as Venice has used its old Arsenale for the Art and Architecture Biennales for years - why has someone not thought of it in London?! It is a rich heritage site that deserves the culture.
There are many artist studios in the vicinity - Thames-Side Print Studio for example who will be exhibiting at the fair, and in the next couple of years Crossrail will be opening it's station right next to our Woolwich space, making the site only 15 minutes from central London. We wanted to be there first.
Similarly, at the invitation of the developer of this site, we started thinking about the people moving in to the area, buying a luxury riverside lifestyle and looking for the culture and pastimes that would accompany that. Many local visitors to our Sinibaldi installation asked if we would return and demonstrated a need for cultural activities in the area.
What makes the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair stand out from its closest competitors?
We're the largest solely contemporary print fair in the UK, utilising a spectacular ex-military site that has never been seen in this context before. We are aiming to be the most interactive and engaging with a programme of printing demonstrations, workshops, talks and tours. We are also pushing original prints as a potentially more accessible 'way in' to the art market, establishing a collection of original works and a great starting point to discovering an individual's tastes from which to evolve. We can assist in learning how to confidently talk about an artwork and how to communicate your choices in work.
In some ways this could also be interpreted as a lifestyle fair. Our 'Interiors Concept Room' sponsored by Paint & Paper Library will focus on living with contemporary works in the home and ideas on how to curate them within the living space. Owning art is a luxury and we are offering our visitors a part of this, but it is also a brave commitment - showcasing your personal taste for all to see - we want our guests to leave feeling happy, confident and wanting more.
Tell us a little about the venue, and how this has contributed to your visualisation of the Fair.
The venue is an old carriage factory for the canon. It is only a quarter of the vast original building which is not able to be made open to the public.
The glass ceiling makes it light and bright during the day, but as you can imagine, in a large old brick building heating is also a concern, especially in November.
We've worked with the original architecture of the space, the fantastic metal work and industrial beams to create a raw and exposed aesthetic with intimate spaces to engage with the work. We wanted to celebrate the building itself without compromising the narrative of works.
You’ve laid on a rich programme of events surrounding the Fair. What are you personally most excited about?
Definitely Gyotaku printmaking by Ed Adlington. He prints using this historic Japanese method.
Completely sustainable using fresh fish to create beautiful formations with non-toxic ink. He then eats the fish after. We are having a sushi bar to accompany his work in celebration.
If you could summarise the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair in one sentence………
Giving people an accessible, innovative and exclusive approach to the contemporary art market.
What are your hopes for the future of the Fair?
We want to make this an annual event, growing, expanding and discovering further outstanding contemporary printmakers and encompassing more of the Royal Arsenal Riverside site where possible. We want people to know that if they are looking for exceptional original prints, they know where to come.
For ticket and venue information and a list of exhibiting artists visit http://www.woolwichprintfair.com/
