New Art Now : Contemporary Art in Australia & New Zealand - Auckland Art Fair Catalogue 2009

Internationally, art fairs are becoming one of the highlights of the serious art collector’s year. Audiences see them as a supercharged environment for sampling the latest and dealers love the business they do. At the third Auckland Art fair which was held at the Viaduct in May 2009, the 40 exhibiting dealers are the real heavy hitters of the scene, from both sides of the Tasman. The Auckland Art Fair grows in stature each year. The record number of premier Australian galleries exhibiting, and the expected large number of Australian collectors attending, in 2009 is testimony to the interest in our artists Australian collectors have. New Art Now serves as the catalogue for the fair (which always kicks off with a glamorous opening-ight vernissage featuring a keynote speaker) and is also a fantastic way to be informed on trends, issues and themes in contemporary art on both sides of the Tasman. The six essays (three by leading new Zealand art writers and curators, three by Australians) especially commissioned for the book offer a sparkling, lively and expert survey of the scene. Published to coincide with the third biennial Auckland Art Fair May 1-3 2009. Essays by Gregory O'Brien, Justin Clemens, Blair French, Rosemary Forde and Simon Rees. First published May 2009.