There are a variety of galleries new to Art Toronto this year. Here, we talk to some notable ones from Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton and London, UK, about what they are bringing and why. (To see photos of each dealer, click on the Photos icon above.)
WIL ABALLE ART PROJECTS, VANCOUVER (BOOTH 1208)
WIL ABALLE, DIRECTOR
Doing any art fair involves a large expense. Why invest in a booth at Art Toronto?
My programming content is largely Canadian. I feel that nowadays, art fairs play a big role in how an art audience sees contemporary art. When I looked this year at all the possible fairs I could do, Art Toronto showed the best fit. The people who run the fair do a lot for the galleries who participate to get the word out internationally on the Canadian art being showcased. I got this feedback as I was travelling at the Sydney Contemporary art fair and talking to Australian dealers last month. Art Toronto has also established exciting partnerships this year, such as with Artsy, which is a fantastic platform to present Canadian art to the broader international audience.
In five words or less, how would you describe your gallery’s program?
Vancouver. Innovative. Young collector development.
What are you presenting at Art Toronto?
I have decided to show a broad swath of artists instead of focusing on a select three or four. Many of the artists made work exclusively for Art Toronto, or Art Toronto will be the first opportunity for these works to be seen by the public. The artists include Jeff Ladouceur, VIVA award winner Marina Roy, 2013 RBC Painting Competition finalist Sean Weisgerber, Matthew Brown, Jasmine Reimer, Angela Teng, Scott Billings, Evann Siebens, Scott Massey, Ian Skedd and Babak Golkar.
What other art fairs do you show at?
I have aspirations to show at NADA, either New York or Miami Beach, next year. I’m also considering the International Fine Print Dealers Association fair in New York next month, because I publish a lot of editions, and this seems a great venue to showcase this particular mandate—at a venue where some of the best blue-chip print publishers are.
Who is your favourite artist that you do not represent?
WAAP works where it exhibits and collaborates with artists on projects and editions without representing anyone (at the moment). It may represent artists in the future. For this question, I can certainly choose an artist who is already represented by other dealers as I am a fan of many artists, having been a collector. But instead I will choose someone who is unrepresented: Marina Roy. Marina creates art that is full of primal and emotional content across various media. She makes animations, works on paper and bookworks, and she is also a prolific writer. Her practice is exciting and unique, full of content that has been a pleasure to see, learn about and uncrate over a multitude of discussions.
GALERIE HUGUES CHARBONNEAU, MONTREAL (BOOTH 1214)
HUGUES CHARBONNEAU, DIRECTOR
Doing any art fair involves a large expense. Why use your resources for a booth at Art Toronto?
This will be my seventh participation at Art Toronto, but a first experience under my own banner. I will introduce a new group of influential artists to Toronto art appreciators.
In five words or less, how would you describe your gallery’s program?
Respecting the essence of each artistic process.
What are you presenting at Art Toronto?
A focus on living Canadian artists who have earned the respect of the art milieu: Benoit Aquin, Marie-Claude Bouthillier, Tammi Campbell, Trevor Gould, David Lafrance, Alain Paiement, Jonathan Plante, Jean-Benoit Pouliot, Séripop, Ève K. Tremblay and Julie Trudel.
What other art fairs do you show at?
Papier in Montreal.
Who is your favourite artist that you do not represent?
Richard Long.
DC3 ART PROJECTS, EDMONTON (BOOTH 1216)
DAVID CANDLER, FOUNDER
Doing any art fair involves a large expense. Why invest in a booth at Art Toronto?
Art Toronto is the national forum for the presentation of contemporary art and an amazing opportunity for a small/new gallery from outside the main centres to make its program and artists known. Presenting in the NEXT section allows us to connect with other recent-vintage galleries and to have our artists placed in context with their peers. We are excited to participate.
In five words or less, how would you describe your gallery’s program?
Surprising. Thoughtful. Relevant. Challenging. Global.
What are you presenting at Art Toronto?
A solo exhibition of Mitch Mitchell, a now-Montreal-based print artist recently added to Concordia University’s amazing faculty. Mitch uses traditional print practices as a language within large installation works to expand the boundaries of the medium. We will be filling half the booth with a kinetic sculpture made of screenprinted newsprint that will work in conjunction with photo-based wall works. Overall, Mitch’s work comments on subjects as diverse as environmental change, Western industrial collapse, corporate and government surveillance, drone warfare, technologic change and B-movie sci-fi. Exhibiting a single artist presents some risk for the gallery, but it offers viewers a chance to see a cohesive presentation of the ideas Mitch is working with.
What other art fairs do you show at?
The gallery is young—just one year in existence—though it has been in my head for decades. We showed at Montreal’s Papier fair this spring, and now at Art Toronto. We are focused on doing smart, informative exhibitions in our home space in Edmonton and making opportunities for our artists on the largest stage we can get them to. There are more fairs in Toronto and further afield in our future!
Who is your favourite artist that you do not represent?
What an unfair question to ask an art junkie! I don’t know that I could narrow it down to 10! I do know there are many artists practicing in Canada who are deserving of far more attention that they get nationally, never mind internationally, and Art Toronto is part of the route to securing them a place on that scene.
TRENCH CONTEMPORARY ART, VANCOUVER (BOOTH 1018)
CRAIG SIBLEY, OWNER/DIRECTOR
Doing any art fair involves a large expense. Why invest in a booth at Art Toronto?
It’s a Canadian art fair. I wanted to expand my artists’ scope in the country we live in, and I believe it’s good for art in Canada. Even out west, it brings profile to the visual arts. I think it’s important.
In five words or less, how would you describe your gallery’s program?
Current and recent history.
What are you presenting at Art Toronto?
The work of nine artists in total: five senior artists and four mid-career and emerging. There will be a balance between more formal elements and conceptual ones. All the work is of the highest quality both technically and conceptually. I also like historical work to play off current work and create some tension or harmony between pieces. Nicholas Galanin’s conceptual works and Ron Stonier’s Modernist paintings go amazingly well together. What’s interesting with these two artists is they’re both of Tlingit First Nations heritage, just working in different forms. They seem to speak to each other in unsuspecting ways every time they’re together. It’s fun.
What other art fairs do you show at?
Toronto is my first fair. Trench is only three years old and just getting established. We do intend on reaching out to the world in the future, however.
Who is your favourite artist that you do not represent?
Sean Scully.
BEERS CONTEMPORARY, LONDON, UK (BOOTH 1120)
KURT BEERS, DIRECTOR
Doing any art fair involves a large expense. Why invest in a booth at Art Toronto?
Beers Contemporary is a Canadian-owned and -run gallery. While based in London, UK, we maintain relations with a number of Canadian artists—particularly painters Andrew Salgado and Neil Harrison—and it’s important for us to connect to a Canadian audience as well. We want to be active and involved in Canada, which is one of the reasons we are participating. We are doing a number of other international fairs over the coming year and we hope that this will be the first of many years at Art Toronto.
In five words or less, how would you describe your gallery’s program?
Bold. Confident. Identifiable. Fresh. Passionate.
What are you presenting at Art Toronto?
A display of two artists: Canadian painter Andrew Salgado and British painter Robert Fry. Salgado is a rising star in the art world, with four solo shows in a row selling out prior to their opening day. He’s also currently having a museum exhibit of his work in his home province of Saskatchewan, and he’s been highlighted by Saatchi curator Rebecca Wilson as someone to invest in now. Robert Fry has had a slate of international solo shows, has been acquired for the Saatchi Collection, and has exhibited at Russia’s Hermitage and London’s Royal Academy. Both are artists making waves internationally and will be in my forthcoming publication 100 Painters of Tomorrow (Thames & Hudson, 2014), juried by Cecily Brown, Sir Norman Rosenthal, Tony Godfrey, Philip Tinari and Barry Schwabsky, among others.
What other fairs do you show at?
We always show at the London Art Fair. This year (actually, next week) we’re doing Kunst 13 in Zurich. And we had our first outing in Basel in June at one of the noteworthy satellite fairs. We’ve got our hat tipped for Art 14 in London this coming year as well.
Who is your favourite artist that you do not represent?
Over the past year, I’ve communicated with thousands of emerging painters for 100 Painters of Tomorrow. Ryan Moseley, Jakub Julian Ziolkowski and Milena Dragicevic are incredible talents who are (unfortunately for me) already signed to other London galleries. I’m showing Dale Adcock at Kunst 13; he creates trompe l’oeil, hyper-angular paintings of imagined totems, and I’m certain they’re going to be a big hit. I’ll be exhibiting Antoine Donzeaud next month in our annual open exhibition “Contemporary Visions.” He’s sort of a mix of de Kooning and Picasso; it’s very fun, very contemporary.
These responses have been edited and condensed. For daily updates on Art Toronto during the fair, visit canadianart.ca/arttoronto. Also visit us at Booth 940 for daily 2 p.m. editors’ talks, subscription specials and more.
