AAF Spring Edition

Events

During the twelfth edition of the Affordable Art Fair in Amsterdam, there seemed to be a fine line between contemporary art and design.

By Cassandra Pizzey /asdf 12-05-2011

The affordable art fair in Amsterdam isn't the most likely place to find design, but Design.nl encountered Piet Paris, KidonRoof and NgispeN hidden amongst the art galleries.

The first thing to hit you upon entering the twelfth (special Spring) edition of the Afordable Art Fair (AAF) at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam is another unusual stand, namely auction house Christie's Amsterdam.

The auctioneers are previewing their upcoming auction which features contemporary art - and yes, design too! In addition to the usual suspects and upcoming artist, works by Atelier van Lieshout and Piet Hein Eek will be sold during the auction in June.

Walking into the fair itself, visitors are greeted by gallerie Rademakers' stand which presents an exclusive: three brand-new, original designs by illustrator Piet Paris entitled Art of the Matter. "The images - made with mixed media - are typical Piet Paris designs, featuring women seen in profile, strong colour contrasts, high-heeled footwear and long legs," says the designer.

Paris was given complete creative freedom by Rademakers but says: "I decided to create very recognizable fashion images, incorporating recurring icons from my work. Usually I work on commission for fashion magazines and brands, just communicating via email, so it's nice to be here in person, meeting people and getting feedback from the public."

So would he consider himself an artist? "Well, not really because I always work on commission but let's see what the public think." Any favourites they should consider? "Yes, the series made for Elle magazine. It was a fun collaboration, really fashion foward, and the illustrations came naturally."

Providing entertainment for little art lovers, KidsonRoof supplied AAF with a multitude of their designs to keep children occupied. “We have tables and chairs, playhouses, figures; all made of cardboard. We even have little cardboard stoves which will be used to teach kids to prepare their own healthy meals,” explains Beatrijs Voorneman of KidsonRoof.

Close-by, a mix of street-art and graphic design is presented at the Sk8room gallery. Decks collected from around the world line the walls of the gallery's stand - featuring some of the most affordable art at the fair. We even spotted a few Dutch artists (Boris Tellegen and Parra) hanging amongst the international greats.

If that wasn't enough design to tempt visitors, NgispeN have provided outdoor furniture for the terrace café.

The Affordable Art Fair will be on at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam until 15 May, 2011.

Click on the images to enlarge

Main image: Affordable Art Fair
Other images: 1. Piet Paris 2. Piet Paris 3. KidonRoof 4. KidonRoof 5. Sk8room 6. NgispeN