START Art Fair 2019, Saatchi Gallery

Exhibition season is warming up and the capital is buzzing with preparations for a myriad of art fairs. One of the most innovative must surely be START Art Fair, which returns to London this month for its sixth edition at the Saatchi Gallery. Specialising in emerging talent from across the globe, the fair will present the works of 100 artists, some representing themselves, others exhibiting with one of 25 galleries, hailing from 30 countries.

START gives voice to artists hoping to make a name for themselves on a global stage, while providing the perfect platform for new collectors to discover talent that might otherwise have gone unseen. Included in this year’s programme is Korean Eye 2020, a teaser exhibition that gives an insight into the work of some of Korea’s most exciting young artists. The series has been re-booted to present a new wave of Korean artists, the new show featuring 30 artists with an accompanying book published by SKIRA featuring 75 artists will launch next spring in St Petersburg before travelling to Saatchi and going on to Seoul next year.


Left: Pierre Fudaryli. Don´t look back, just remember II, (2019). Right: Katya Shkolnik. Grey & Pink (2019)

There will also be a presentation courtesy of multidisciplinary artist Philip Colbert, whose Lobster World promises to entertain visitors with an imagined universe like no other. Colbert, who uses familiar pop culture references in his paintings, furniture designs and even his ‘wearable art,’ describes himself as a ‘neo pop surrealist,’ so expect some trippy visuals.

Look out, too for the beautifully intricate paintings of Hana Shahnavaz, who works on paper in the Iranian miniature tradition. Also not to be missed is Michelle Poonawalla’s multi-sensory installation Introspection. Using audio clips from newsreels and ambient sounds, together with digitally mapped visuals, Poonawalla’s ‘uncanny sensorium’ will rework and re-examine the endless march of news images that confront us on a daily basis.

This year's START Art Fair promises to be a heady, immersive experience from start to finish. Even the Oblique Eco Lounge and Bar will surround visitors with visual treats including a full size Formula E Gen2 race car and Formula E inspired installation by Doowon Lee and a full programme of music. This is the perfect venue to kick off London’s art fair season, while experiencing some cutting-edge innovations.

START ART FAIR 2019 OPENING HOURS
*Wednesday 25 September VIP Private View 6–9pm
Thursday 26 September 11am–8pm
Friday 27 September 11am–6pm
Saturday 28 September 11am–6pm
Sunday 29 September 11am–5pm

*Advance invite/tickets only