Excitement is in the air at Minor Attractions, an art-selling event that describes itself as “not an art fair”, which is being held in the boutique Mandrake hotel in Fitzrovia this week. Dealers report strong sales and a refreshing, buzzy atmosphere created by the format.
Almost every corner of the velvet-ridden venue has been filled with art; exhibitors could bring just one work—shown in spaces such as corridors or the reception—or take half of or an entire room. Works decorate bathrooms and lie on beds, giving the experience a surreal domestic twist.
“It’s like being at home,” says Mark Hinchliffe of A Modest Show, who is exhibiting—among other things—a series of drawings by Matthew Collings above the bed, as well as paintings by G.L. Brierley, two of which have sold at £1,800 each. “It reminds me of Liste [in Basel], when it was in that studio complex,” says his standmate Nat Pitt of Division of Labour, whose offerings include playful soft “beer cans” by Rosie McGinn—available for a slightly reduced price of £200 during “happy hour”.
“It’s the first bathroom I’ve ever curated,” says Miles Thurlow from Workplace gallery, which has sold four or five works by Robin Megannity and Rachel Lancaster for under £10,000. “I’ve enjoyed the DIY, slightly punk spirit. There’s a sense you’re at a party.”
Jaqueline Cedar from Good Naked is from Los Angeles, and is fond of the city’s Felix fair, also held in a hotel. She feels that such formats encourage more engagement from collectors. “Both my gallery and [The Residence Gallery, sharing the stand] actually started out of apartments,” she says. “And when I first began, I found that people spend more time when you can sit and have conversations. It’s a different way of looking.”
For the London-based Bolanle Tajudeen, an established curator and the founder of the curatorial platform Black Blossoms, Minor Attractions is her first experience as a commercial gallerist. She says the event has provided visibility to her new platform as she seeks to bring the paintings of Djofray Makumbu—two of which have sold so far—to a broader audience. “It’s a nice room, which helps,” she says.
It is certainly a decisive break from the white walls of Frieze, and while dealers are clear about the benefits of the bigger fairs being on at the same time—a strong contingent of international dealers coming through the doors, for one—the relief at this example of new thinking is apparent. “At this time, it’s really welcome,” Thurlow says.
• Minor Attractions, Mandrake Hotel, Fitzrovia, London, until 13 October
