The Virtual Art Fair - Fourth Edition Opens 29/01/2021 Curated by Lucy Fiona Morrison
https://www.thevirtualartfair.co.uk/virtual-galleries
@thevirtual.artfair @lfmartworks
I’m pleased to announce that TVAF fourth edition features “Bums on Seats” (debut showing) and “Straight from the Horse’s Ass” (second showing) alongside many other international artists. In light of recent events, Lucy Fiona Morrison’s vision has been to create a series of interactive exhibition spaces and provides an opportunity for new graduates as well as more established artists.
The latest version of the the fair, which has been running since May 2020, features a new virtual environment called the “Surface Gallery”. Upon entering, your sense of anticipation and curiosity is dampened by a string of loading messages but once the inevitable buffering ends you find yourself in a bizarre, Nintendo-esque meta-world, suspended over an endless sea. Apart from the red birds on benches, a black cat and some frustratingly unopened champagne bottles, you are alone amongst dozens of artworks. If, on occasion, you suffer from the white cube effect then this show will come as a welcome relief; after all, who is to say that you can’t have purple walls and animals walking around?
The pieces themselves, mostly paintings, range from the impactful, geometric bounce of Sonia Benn Achoura to the muted drawing of Paul Hartley and everything between. There is no theme (other than that these artists cannot really show anything at present) but no evidence of a curatorial mix up; the overtly political pieces are uncluttered and the layout allows for each artist to have individual wall space - very egalitarian. Care and attention has been made to present the artists as well as possible, with details on each piece, click-throughs and contact information. All works are for sale. I should also mention here that many of these works are being shown for the very first time, in keeping with previous editions, and reveals a great deal about where any particular artist is going with their work. TVAF actively promotes and encourages this with frequent online conversations on the subject. If you would like more information about these then please visit the events page here
It could be said that the virtual exhibition world has eaten itself and become bloated on its own necessity as a result, but TVAF IV is quite a playful affair. All exhibiting artists have been affected in the same way over the past year and this offering is an interesting embodiment of that very fact.
There is however one thing about this show - once you’ve seen everything there’s no way off this weird island…