The First ArtDC….a Long Way from Miami From April 27th – 30th, the country’s newest art fair was held at the Washington Convention Center. ArtDC was comprised of 80 international galleries dealing in artwork of all mediums including new media and performance art. The ArtDC website seemed confident that this expertly gleaned group of galleries would catapult DC to a new level of art appreciation, “becom[ing] the art world’s newest intellectual playground…,” I suppose if only for a long weekend.

There were several warning signs that this was to be no Art Basel.

While the choice of the Convention Center was prime in terms of accessibility and amenities, the vacuous feel of the exhibition hall created a bizarre apathy. Whereas many art fairs are downright claustrophobic with art, overwhelming the viewer and creating a very palpable sense of urgency, the atmosphere in Hall E was alarmingly relaxed. Viewers were literally strolling and exhibitor booths were plopped in the center of the room with tremendously open space surrounding the cubicles.

No sooner had I passed through the hallway lined with TVs and entered the main hall, than I was approached by a gentleman who asked me for a glass of wine. When I realized he identified me as a waitress by my all black outfit, I knew I wasn’t in South Beach anymore. I dismissed his blue-suited befuddlement and moved on to the art. Ahh the art. In a word, ‘underwhelming.’

In an almost homage to the recently deceased Vasarely, Op Art swirled and spiraled around each corner. Uninspired propaganda – esque paintings and collages were prevalent. And, predictably, large scale, uber-glossy C-prints covered in plexi provided a discreet way for viewers to check their hair in just about every booth. The artwork chosen by the participating galleries seemed suspiciously last-minute.

All was not lost however. A handful of galleries pulled through with well thought-out presentations of talented artists. Brancolini Grimaldi Arte Contemporanea from Florence showed the outstanding photography of Massimo Vitali. While large scale and, yes, covered with plexi, these photos are breathtaking in their complexity, composition and color scheme. There’s no wonder as to why Vitali is collected by museums, corporations and individuals around the world. Baltimore’s own Goya Contemporary stood out with their consistently interesting, high-quality works on paper demonstrating a level of refinement that stood out from the crowd. Hand-blown vases from Berengo Studio in Venice were stunning and Norman Parish’s booth was a faithful recreation of his successful Africa and African Diaspora – focused gallery in Georgetown.

In general – ArtDC was safe. Maybe this is because dealers and galleries had no idea what to expect from this first year “trial run.” Perhaps it was the replacement of the traditional opening night preview gala with a non-profit benefiting, ticketed cocktail reception that sucked the wind out of the event. The relative lack of publicity may have also contributed to the buzz-less atmosphere.

Will ArtDC become a major player on the art fair circuit? Only if the fair’s organizers treat year one as a jumping off point and not a mold for ArtDC.

Labels: Art, ArtDC, Goya Gallery, Washington

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