Presentation

Strong of the success of its first edition in 2007, Docks Art Fair, the international contemporary art fair of Lyon, will be held again during the inaugural week of the Biennial event of contemporary art of Lyon, from 14 till 20 September 2009. Situated on docks in edge of the Saône, Docks Art Fair will present 40 international galleries and so many artists solo shows.

Like the first edition, Docks Art Fair 09 is meant to be an addition to the Biennial as it highlights the key role of galleries in supporting and promoting art today.

Our wish is to ensure that all exhibitors take advantage of the presence of many international contemporary art professionals (about 1,600 during the first two days - curators, critics, journalists) as well as many collectors from around the world, for the opening of the Biennial.

It makes Docks Art Fair different from the others fairs:

The concept of the solo show for emerging artist.

Each gallery takes up a 30 m2 surface for its booth.

The exceptional location: only 100 m from the Biennial.

Dates: 14-20 september 2009, inaugural first week of the Biennial.

The audience made up of important international collectors and contemporary art professionals.

The quality of the exhibitors: look at Docks Art Fair 07.

It is thus in this innovative, attractive and exciting context that we are now inviting you to join us for the second edition of Docks Art Fair.

The Greater Lyon urban community and the Région Rhône Alpes support Docks Art Fair.

The Greater Lyon urban community

From the first edition The Greater Lyon urban community brought their support to Docks Art Fair allowing the creation of the press village, so giving an immediate international visibility to the fair. In 2008 they maintained their action, of this fact the publication of a bilingual document was possible. This document was spread all over the world allowing to promote Docks Art Fair in the best conditions. For this second edition The Greater Lyon urban community multiplies their actions to position Docks Art Fair and cross the difficult economic context.

The région Rhône-Alpes

Docks Art Fair benefits from the policy for the contemporary art, adopted in January, 2007. The région Rhône-Alpes renewed their supports to the fair in 2008 and continues it in 2009.

Without these two institutional supports Docks Art Fair would not be possible and allow finally to propose a quality alternative in region to the centralized traditional networks.

In order to choose participating galleries to Docks Art Fair 09 among all the applications, the selection committee is composed of 5 well-known personalities of contemporary art:

Nathalie Ergino, director of the Institut d’Art Contemporain de Villeurbanne,

Pascal Neveux, director of the FRAC Provence- Alpes-Côte d’Azur,

Philippe Piguet, historian, art critic and independant curator,

Jean-Marc Salomon, founder of the Fondation pour l’art contemporain Claudine et Jean-Marc Salomon,

Barbara Polla, director of the Analix Forever (ch) gallery.

Lyon’s geographical location is a major asset for the fair in a rich and dynamic région, counting many assionate art collectors with a high purchasing power - many of them are members of the ADIAF (Prix Marcel Duchamp) and ART38, both being active collectors’ associations. This region, close to Switzerland and the North of Italy, counts important museums: Musée d’Art Contemporain de Lyon, Musée d’art moderne de Saint-Étienne, Musée de Grenoble… and first-rank institutions such as the Institut d’Art Contemporain de Villeurbanne, le Magasin de Grenoble, l’Ecole des Beaux Arts de Lyon. Docks Art Fair’s tent location (a tent especially made for the occasion), 100m from the Sucrière, the main exhibition place of the Biennial, will enable optimal visibility for the fair in this area of XXI century Lyon (« Little Shangaï »): the Docks, an industrial site along the Saône, newly developed by a high standard architectural program (Jakob & Mac Farlane, Ruddy Riccioti, Odile Decq, JM Wilmotte).

The technical services looked after by Docks Art fair organization give to the exhibitors the opportunity to show in very good conditions.