It is with much regret that North Port Events announces the postponement of the fourth edition of the Auckland Art Fair to 24 – 28 February 2021.
Directors of the Auckland Art Fair, Stephanie Post and Hayley White state,“the strength of the gallery and artist lists that were due to exhibit in April, and the exceptional visitor interest in this year’s Fair make this particularly disappointing. But the extraordinary circumstances and the government’s new restrictions on public gatherings make it unavoidable.”
Against the backdrop of the global disruption caused by COVID-19, and the economic situation that has arisen over the last few days, a number of concerns have informed our thinking. These have included the fact that 13 international galleries scheduled to participate in the Fair would not now be permitted to travel to Auckland without a two week isolation period on arrival in NZ; that national and international collectors would not be able, or chose, to travel; the health risks for gallery staff, artists, collectors, visitors and our own staff at a major public event; and the growing likelihood that the Fair would be obliged to cancel at some point – which happened yesterday, with the NZ Government announcing that all gatherings of more than 500 people are to be cancelled. Taking account of the above, it is clearly neither responsible nor possible to run a Fair this April.
“We support the tough decision that the organisers have had to make but we know that art lovers will understand the reasons why.” Says Richard Clarke, Head of Major Events at Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED). “ATEED will continue to work with all our partners as we know that events can, and will, play an important role in the eventual recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.”
Auckland Art Fair is very pleased to have secured dates for 2021, when our fourth edition of Auckland Art Fair will take place from the 24 – 28 February, at The Cloud on Queens Wharf. Not only will this be an ideal time of year to hold an event on the Auckland waterfront, but these dates also offer an opportunity to introduce the best of New Zealand art to the international visitors who we anticipate will be in Auckland in February for the Prada Cup – the Challenger Selection Series for the 36th America’s Cup – and the Superyacht Regatta that will be hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Anyone who has already purchased tickets to the Auckland Art Fair will be refunded their ticket price in full.
New Zealand's premier showcase for contemporary art takes place from Wednesday 29 April – Sunday 3 May 2020 at The Cloud on Auckland's Queens Wharf.
Discover art by more than 150 artists, exhibited by 40+ of the best galleries of the wider Pacific Rim region, including not only New Zealand and Australia, but parts of Asia, and the Pacific Islands. The Fair spotlights the breadth and diversity of the best art and artists working in our region.
Whether you're interested in painting, photography, sculpture, moving image, ceramics, drawing or performance, Auckland Art Fair has something for everyone.
For more information and to see what’s on visit artfair.co.nz.
