New ‘non-fair’ for art to open in London

As details of London’s upcoming October programme continue to emerge, a new ‘non fair’ has been announced.

The inaugural edition of Minor Attractions will launch two selling exhibitions between 10 and 15 October, set across two venues: the eponymous Minor Attractions in Soho and Cornershop in London Bridge.

“These days it’s wet paintings [new works by emerging artists] sold by anxious gallerists trying to service debt,” says Jonny Tanna, the founder of the not-for-profit association, Minor Attractions, alongside Jacob Barnes. “Of course, there are fair directors out there doing their best to balance their models out, but we wanted to be a bit radical and offer something low cost where sales aren’t the focus and where we can bring attention to galleries and artists, in a low key and grass roots way.”

Participating galleries showing at the Minor Attractions space are primarily international and include New York’s King’s Leap and Chicago’s Good Weather.

London’s Vilma Gold will also participate for its first “public showing” since the gallery declared in 2017 that it would be looking for alternatives, away from the ever-increasing cycle of global fairs.

“Minor Attractions is exciting and timely. I am drawn to how the project shares the spirit of Basel Social Club and the atmosphere and presentation will hopefully inspire new ways for artists and galleries to exhibit”, says Rachel Williams, the gallery’s owner and director.

The Cornership venue will prioritise emerging London galleries, including The Artist Room, Collective Ending HQ and Tabula Rasa.

A board of well-known London professionals, including Tom Hunt of Thaddaeus Ropac, Andrew Wheatley of Cabinet and Maureen Paley have also been supporting the event.

Entry is free, with the Minor Attractions venue opening from 4pm to 1am, in a bid to address “the lack of spaces in London which open past 11pm”, as well as the “exclusionary nature of invite-only art world events during Frieze”, according to the press release. The Cornership venue will open from 11am to 7pm daily.