The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia will be celebrating its 44th edition this summer as it returns to Kensington, London from the 27th June until 3rd July. Renowned as a key event in the global art and antiques calendar, 2016 is set to be the best yet with some of the industry’s leading experts confirmed for talks on the stage that are free to attend for all ticket holders – including the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID), Royal Academy of Arts, the Tate, the British Museum, the V&A, HALI, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, and the Landmark Trust.
Alongside knowledgeable speakers, 160 dealers will be on hand showcasing over 55,000 items with prices ranging from £100 to £1million and an eclecticism to cater to the seasoned collector, trade professional and those looking to acquire beautiful and unusual items – perhaps for the first time.
As London’s original art and antiques fair, it offers unrivalled diversity and more choice of high quality vetted art, antiques, furniture, jewellery and collectors’ pieces, than any other show in the British capital.
Mary Claire Boyd, Fair Director says: “The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia is renowned for being one of the UK’s leading art fairs and every year thousands of visitors are bowled over by the vast array of pieces and scale of the interiors in the historic Olympia national hall. Alongside the dealers we offer visitors the chance to listen to a line-up of fantastic speakers who’ve been in the industry for years and have a wealth of knowledge. To have this number of experts ready and willing to share their insider tips and talk about the history of the pieces is a rare treat.”
Expert Speakers at The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia:
Edwina Ehrman, curator of Textiles and Fashion at the V&A
Edwina is a specialist in the history of London fashion and haute couture and curated the 2016 V&A exhibition, ‘Undressed: A brief history of underwear.’ She has authored and co-authored numerous books and exhibition catalogues and is the chairman of the Dress and Textiles Specialist Subject Network. Edwina’s talk at the Fair will draw on the research she undertook for the ‘Undressed: A brief history of underwear’ exhibition and will explore the important relationship between underwear and fashion, notions of the ideal body, and the ways that cut, fit, fabric and decoration can reveal issues of gender, sex and morality. It will also consider health and hygiene and the critical importance of innovation in design and technology to the development of our under clothes. Title of the talk: ‘Undressed: A brief history of underwear.’ Time: Friday 1st July 14:30pm to 15:30pm
The World of Interiors presents interior and architectural designer, Shalini Misra.
Curating, collecting and creating art is a skill and passion that Shalini holds dear to her heart and her practice’s method of design. After finishing her MSc in architecture at UCL Bartlett in London, Shalini went on to design the interiors of homes around the world and now she’s on the Tate’s SAAC committee which acquires art from South Asia.
Shalini strives to develop spaces that stimulate the senses and she uses seductive lighting to form intimate designs. Incorporating various pieces, from sculptures and paintings to digital and sound art, her interiors are enriched and embellished. Pieces often narrate the design language of a space influencing the colours, textures and even the sizes of rooms when remodelling a home. Title of the talk: ‘Curation & Creation for art in interiors.’ Time: Saturday 2nd July 14:30pm 15:30pm.
Dr Carol Jacobi, curator from Tate Britain
Dr Carol Jacobi is the curator of British Art 1850–1915 at Tate and publishes and broadcasts on nineteenth and twentieth century British Art. She has curated numerous displays and her latest exhibition ‘Painting with Light: Art and Photography from the Pre-Raphaelites to the Modern Age’ will be at Tate Britain from 11th May – 25th September. On Thursday 30th June at 16:30pm Carol will be speaking at the Fair about ‘Painting with Light’ and look at the ways in which painters and photographers encouraged each other to redefine beauty and art. The talk will begin with the earliest explorations of movement and illumination by Hill and Adamson inspired by Turner and conclude at the end of the century with the first photographs in colour. Title of the talk: ‘Painting with Light.’ Time: Thursday 30th June from 16:30pm to 17:30pm.
Susie Rumbold, President of the British Institute of Interior Design and Creative Director of Tessuto.
Susie Rumbold is President of the BIID where she helps drive the Institute’s role in the industry and raises the profile of the Institute and the interior design profession in the UK. Prior to becoming President she served as CPD Director on the BIID Council. During her time as CPD Director, Susie oversaw the Institute’s CPD programme of seminars, lectures and tours in addition to the expansion of its CPD Providers Directory. In 1993 Susie established Tessuto, a successful multidisciplinary design studio, based in London where she is Creative Director. Throughout her career she has built up a prestigious portfolio of commercial and private clients, and acquired a wealth of diverse experience. Susie’s talk, entitled ‘Commissioning an interior designer: An insider’s guide,’ will highlight the advantages of working with a professional interior designer, the process of appointing a designer, as well as a step-by-step guide to getting the best results for your project. Susie will explore how the relationship works between client and interior designer and offer tips and advice on how to get the very best from your working relationship. She will explain how to manage the design process, how to share your creative vision and demonstrate how successful projects are the result of effective collaboration between you and your designer. Title of the talk: ‘Commissioning an interior designer: An insider’s guide.’ Time: Friday 1st July 12:00pm to 13:00pm
John Evetts, Furnishings Manager at The Landmark Trust
John Evetts has shaped the presentation of Landmark’s buildings for almost 40 years. He knows each building and its surroundings intimately; his first project being Piazza di Spagna in Rome and his proudest project being The Grange in Ramsgate. From his workshop at Wormington Grange in Gloucestershire, John advises Landmark on the furnishings and settings of its buildings: simplifying the landscape so that the building can speak for itself. A recent highlight has been the award-winning restoration of 18th century Belmont House in Lyme Regis, once the home of Eleanor Coade. John started his career as a photographer before joining Landmark in 1976. Title of the talk: ‘Restoring Historic Buildings.’ Time: Wednesday 29th June 12:00pm to 13:00pm
April Russell, Director of April Russell Designs and Member of the British Institute of Interior Design
Creating utterly unique interiors on both sides of the Atlantic, April has the ability to capture each client’s individual vision. Focusing on her clients’ existing, or growing art collections, April accompanies them on a journey, concentrating on the layout of each room and the flow of space and architecture throughout. The journey often involves visits to art galleries and meetings with art consultants, as April believes that painting and sculpture are powerful ways to convey a person’s interests and individuality. April will be joined by English art dealer and art historian Philip Mould OBE, and guest speakers Andrew Molyneux and Harry Triggs from TM Lighting, for this talk on ‘The Art of Interiors: Collaborating harmoniously to achieve timeless interiors’. The four specialists will talk about how they combine their talents to create stunning interiors, which have flair, personality and are timeless and effortless. Each expert will clarify common myths and theories, which often arise in their different fields. They will touch upon framing and positioning art, how to mix multi-level artificial light and the damaging effects of natural light on the entire interior. Finally, whilst considering the design of an interior, they will discuss the perennial subject of ‘Less is More?’ Chairing the discussion will be Lucinda Bredin, Editor of Bonhams Magazine. Title of the talk: ‘The Art of Interiors: Collaborating harmoniously to achieve timeless interiors.’ Time: Tuesday 28th June 14:30pm to 15:30pm
Anne Robbins, Associate Curator of Post 1800 paintings at the National Gallery, London.
Anne trained in France as Conservateur national du Patrimoine. At the National Gallery she contributes towards numerous projects and publications and curated or co-curated a number of exhibitions with the latest being ‘Painters’ Paintings: From Freud to Van Dyck’ which explores the connections between artists and the paintings they possessed. Anne will be speaking at The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia about this new exhibition and the reasons behind artists’ motivations for owning pictures by other painters, whether contemporaries or great masters of the past. Title of the talk: ‘Painters’ Paintings: From Freud to Van Dyck’ Time: Sunday 3rd July 12:00pm to 13:00pm
Martin Gatto, author of ‘The Tavern Clock’ supported by specialist dealer Howard Walwyn.
Martin Gatto is the author of the only book devoted exclusively to the Tavern Clock – ‘The Tavern Clock,’ and he’s currently writing an updated book which he hopes to publish in 2016. He’s been a collector of Tavern clocks for over 30 years and has amassed the largest archive on Wall and Tavern clocks. Martin will be taking to the stage with a talk entitled, ‘The Tavern Clock 1720-1830. A uniquely British Timepiece,’ on Thursday 30th June from 12:00pm to 13:00pm. He will show the design progression of the clocks from the beginning through to peak production in the reign of George III when chinoiserie was the height of fashion. Howard Walwyn’s love of English clocks began in his teens when he bought a country made longcase for a few pounds on his way to school and now he’s the founder of Howard Walwyn Fine Antique Clocks. He will be on hand at the Fair to offer visitors his insight and wisdom. Title of the talk: ‘The Tavern Clock 1720-1830. A uniquely British Timepiece.’ Time: Thursday 30th June from 12:00pm to 13:00pm.
A Preview will take place from 4pm-9:30pm on Monday 27th June. Late night openings, champagne bar and a specially created menu at the Mosimann’s restaurant all set against the elegant backdrop of Olympia National Hall in West London, combine to make the Fair a prestigious and must-attend event in London’s summer calendar.
Tickets are priced at £15 in advance, £20 on the door and £60 on Preview day*.
The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia, takes place at the Olympia National, London, W14 8UX.
For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.olympia-art-antiques.com
Follow us on social media:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/OlympiaAntiques
Facebook: www.facebook.com/olympiaartandantiques
Instagram: www.instagram.com/olympiaartandantiques
Pinterest: uk.pinterest.com/OlympiaAntiques