------------------ What is the MESSA project?-----------------
Framkvæmdafélag listamanna – FRAFL, launched the MESSA project on 1 July 2010. The MESSA project involves the organization, development and implementation of the first international visual art fair to be held in Iceland - MESSA.
------------------------MESSA is:------------------------
- - an alternative art fair.
- - an opportunit
y for emerging artists.
- - a crossover between established and non-established.
- - a link to the international art world. The MESSA project will launch the first art fair in 2013, where art galleries, collectors, and artists will have the opportunity to participate and display and sell their work. What will make this fair exceptional is that not only will galleries have the opportunity to participate, but special emphasis will be put towards the participation of emerging individual or freelance visual artists and others within the art world, creating a link and a platform for networking, sharing, collaboration, connections and support within the visual arts. The focus is not just on selling art and potentially making a profit. MESSA aims to be more of an art event, with the dual purpose of giving emerging artists the support they need to cultivate their future careers in the art world while also giving the general public access to new and exciting talent and artwork to which they might not otherwise be exposed. MESSA will set a precedent for a new kind of art fair.
-------------------What is an art fair?----------------------
Art fairs are temporary spaces where galleries and other participants of the art market from all over the world bring contemporary artwork to booths in a open space to promote and sell. The artwork can then be seen and bought by people visiting the fair. Nowadays art fairs are one of the most important and effective tools of the art market, or as is stated on wikipedia:
“Art fairs - market-oriented gatherings of art dealers and their wares, which have recently emerged as among the most important art-world venues for promoting artists and sales of contemporary art in the present-day super-heated art market.”
-------------------What is MESSA Teaser?-------------------
In preparation for the launch of the first MESSA, FRAFL will produce a couple of “teaser” events which will serve as prototypes for the main art fair. The first of these teasers, MESSA Teaser will be held the weekend of May 20, 2011. MESSA Teaser will feature a small group of Icelandic and international artists who will be provided exhibition spaces to display their work. The idea is to give the general public a taste of what MESSA will bring to Iceland.
-------------------- Why Iceland? ------------------------
Iceland has a population of around 320,000 people. The vibrant and dynamic art scene in Iceland is driven by a group of inspired artists from various backgrounds and influences, who create innovative works and events for a dedicated audience. However, because of the relative infancy of the art scene – as well as for geographic and economic reasons – Iceland has not been in a position in the past to open up to the international commercial art market in the same sense as neighboring European countries. Therefore, access to the art market by way of Iceland is quite limited. Consequently, regional artists are at a disadvantage when it comes to promoting their work to an international audience, and the regional audience is not as likely to be exposed to the work of international artists. This is a problem especially when it comes to emerging contemporary artists trying to get a foot into the door of the larger art world. This is a problem we hope to begin solving by the implementation of MESSA.
---------------------- When is MESSA? --------------------
The pre-planning stage of MESSA began in early 2010, and our current goal is to launch the first official MESSA in 2013. The intent is to create a sustainable formula which will allow the MESSA to become an annual or bi-annual event.
------------------When is MESSA Teaser? -------------------
MESSA Teaser will be held the weekend of 20th May 2011 at KEX Hostel, Skúlagata 28, 101 Reykjavík. On Friday, 20 May there will be an invite only opening reception from 5 PM to 9 PM. On Saturday, 21 May MESSA Teaser will be open to the public from 11 AM to 8 PM. Please see:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149141735153465
The project has received financial funding from the European Union Youth in Action grant (please see: www.euf.is) and Islandsstofa - Promote Iceland (please see: www.islandsstofa.is). The MESSA Teaser is organised in cooperation with SIM - the Association of Icelandic Visual Artists (please see: www.sim.is).
