9 minute read
LAST WORD: Maree Di Pasquale (CEO, Melbourne Art Foundation)
from Sullivan+Strumpf Contemporary Art Gallery Sydney & Melbourne, Australia & Singapore – Jan-Mar 2024
Interview and portrait by Claire Summers
Claire Summers:
Each iteration of Melbourne Art Fair proposes a thematic, a key word that functions as invitation to artists or gallerists to respond to in their work or curation. This 2024 Fair invites response to the theme of ‘Ketherba ’ a Boonwurrung word meaning ‘together’. How are you seeing this thematic manifesting in the curation and programming of the 2024 Melbourne Art Fair?
Maree Di Pasquale:
The thematic influences the curatorial selection of works across our video, installation, performance, commissioning, and conversations program, which is this year driven by a group of outstanding female curators; Tamsin Hong, Exhibitions Curator at Serpentine, London; Shelley McSpedden, Senior Curator at ACCA’s; and Anador Walsh, Director of Performance Review.
This year, the theme ‘Ketherba ’ a word of Victoria’s Boonwurrung First Peoples, expresses, in this context, a togetherness that is imbued with promise, one that embraces difference and gives reason for hope. In a time of great challenge, we see Melbourne Art Fair as an agent for connection for the Australian art world. A chance to bring together artists, galleries, collectors, arts professionals, and the art loving public from diverse backgrounds, to share knowledge and experiences, to develop new ideas, to learn and to unlearn.
Melbourne Art Fair is principally a commercial platform, focused on connecting our collectors and buyers with some of the most exciting artists working today, however it is also a playground in which to be inspired. We take seriously our responsibility to build new audiences for contemporary art and the program under the theme of ketherba plays a fundamental role in this.
I will give you an example. In the installation program BEYOND, Sullivan+Strumpf’s Sanné Mestrom presents, The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Her Parts (2023), where fair goers are invited to play together on the figure of a monumental abstracted female form and engage with female representation through the physicality of motherhood. Mestrom’s focus is on merging sculpture and the body to examine art’s role in shaping contemporary interpretations of play in the context of place. Her work softens the separation of art and the everyday, and its very inclusion in the fair presents an opportunity for young and old, people of all backgrounds and experiences, to engage with art together, inclusively, and in the context of Melbourne Art Fair.
CS: Art fairs the world over represent a meaningful coming together of arts communities and reflect to us the market we exist within. What function do you see ‘community’ serving in the context of market strength?
MDP: The ‘community’ serves as a catalyst for growth, collaboration, knowledge sharing, advocacy, and adaptation within the art market. By fostering a sense of belonging and collective support, communities contribute to the strength and resilience of the market. In the context of Melbourne Art Fair this community is artists, galleries, collectors, arts professionals, where connection and collaboration are fundamental to the development of the market as a whole.
CS: Melbourne Art Fair is a leading cultural event in Australasia. In what ways is the Fair a reflection of the arts ecology of its namesake city and the region it is positioned within?
MDP: Melbourne Art Fair reflects and contributes to the vibrant arts ecology of Melbourne and the region through its exhibiting artists, engagement with galleries and institutions, reflection of artistic trends, support of collectors, and the presentation of Australian First Nations artists. It plays a vital role in promoting and strengthening the arts ecosystem in Melbourne and Australasia more broadly.
In addition to the diverse range of artists from Australia, New Zealand, and the broader Asia-Pacific region exhibiting, the fair also collaborates with 50+ galleries, museums, and cultural institutions to promote exhibitions and special projects during the week. This collaboration strengthens the ties between the fair and the local arts community, fostering a sense of partnership and support indicative of Melbourne’s collaborative nature.
At its core, Melbourne Art Fair serves as a hub for dialogue, exchange, and networking within the arts community and facilitates meaningful conversations and connections to foster a vibrant and interconnected arts ecology.
CS: What does the next generation of art collectors look like to you? What is most important to them?
MDP: We have thought about this a lot in our efforts to rebuild a fair that is for the next generation of artists, dealers, and collectors. They are the digital native generation and have access of course to a vast array of art online, which allows them to discover and explore contemporary art from around the world. But importantly, they also recognise the power of direct engagement with the artist's intent and value the experience of viewing art in person, at a gallery or at an art fair for example.
They demand accountability and ethical practices in artist representation and art production. They seek out artworks that represent a plurality of perspectives, cultures, and identities, reflecting a social consciousness and a commitment to embracing different voices and narratives. This understanding of the importance for diversity not only enriches collections but will also contribute to a more inclusive and representative art world.
CS: Melbourne Art Fair underwent a prolonged period of reinvention and evolution to arrive at the event it is today. How do you see its current position in the market?
MDP: There is no doubt that Melbourne Art Fair historically had a significant place in the market, but it was clear that it needed to evolve. The position of a fair in the global market changes over time… this is normal. Factors like market conditions, competition and the ability to adapt to changing trends all impact a fair's position. At the very start of my tenure in 2017, Melbourne Art Fair was facing a number of existential threats that were put in motion after the fair’s cancellation in 2016. The Australian art world was up in arms… but I realised that if they care enough to be so provoked by the fair’s end, it meant that they care enough to engage and take it into the future. So, I set out to identify the strengths of Melbourne Art Fair and understand the full potential of its role in a future Australian arts sector.
Leveraging its reputation as the region's most established art fair, while moving forward with a strong curatorial vision, we elected to differentiate the fair from our competitors with a focus on uncompromising quality, community, and market.
We vowed to always best represent and support the artist in the context of a commercial setting, and introduced an expanded commission and grant program which has in 2024 alone seen $AUD 187,000 distributed in artist and curator fees, with $AUD 1M reinvested into the sector since the Melbourne Art Foundation’s establishment in 2003.
This investment has enabled artists to take risks and exhibit ambitious work, which can be hard to achieve in a fair context where commercial realities often result in the need to exhibit ‘safe’.
We have prioritised the representation of First Nations' voices and embedded protocols and programs into the fair framework to ensure the ethical exhibition and sale of Indigenous Australian art. This has led to significant programs in support of First Nations artists, including the fully funded participation of some of the country’s most exciting Indigenous-owned art centres under the William Mora Indigenous Art Centre Program. Thanks to partners Morgans and Bennelong Funds Management, this year we welcome Moa Arts, Munupi Arts & Crafts, Papunya Tjupi Arts and Wik & Kugu Arts Centre.
The efforts to rebuild and reposition have resulted in a Melbourne Art Fair that is not only focused on showcasing high-quality art but also on supporting artists, promoting inclusivity, and contributing to the vibrant cultural landscape of Australasia as the country’s most significant contemporary art fair.
CS: Your tenure as the CEO of Melbourne Art Foundation and as Director of Melbourne Art Fair has come with it extraordinary change for the organisation, along with great pressure to be adaptive and agile. What do you hope to see as the next frontier for the fair?
MDP: Melbourne Art Fair can play a vital role in connecting the Australian art sector to the global art market, fostering growth, and creating opportunities for artists to thrive on an international stage. So, with the world reopened, we plan to increase engagement with an international network of collectors and curators through our expanded VIP Program, providing opportunities for artists to gain exposure on a global scale and fostering connections with international institutions and markets through our commission and grant programs.
It is necessary that we have outward focus. We hope this will facilitate cultural exchange and dialogue, allowing for the sharing of ideas, perspectives, and artistic practices. This exchange will enrich the local art scene and contribute to the growth and development of Australian art globally. ■
