Jo Higgins

August 21, 2014

Events, Musings

Melbourne Art Fair 2014

Jo Higgins

August 21, 2014

Events, Musings

Ken and Julia Yonetani, The Last Suppermarket, Melbourne Art Fair, 2014 — Ken and Julia Yonetani, *The Last Suppermarket*, Melbourne Art Fair, 2014

I haven’t been to Melbourne in, god, maybe six or seven years. But it’s as brilliant a city as I remember it and the Melbourne Art Fair was the perfect excuse to make a return visit.

Art fairs being what they are – ostensibly very glossy, visually stimulating, champagne-soaked exercises in high-end retail – I’m always fascinated by the way they expose, so matter of factly, so much of the art world ecology – the collector, the dealer, the price tags.

Frieze London left a huge impression of me the first time I went – more H&M-Oxford-St-flagship-store-two-days-before-Christmas crazy than anything else, but I was grateful nonetheless for the experience and the insight to it all. I particularly appreciated the Frieze Projects platform, offering emerging artists and more experimental art the opportunity for critical consideration amidst the ringing of cash register bells.

As uncomfortable as it makes me, thinking about art in terms of its retail potential, it’s a bit naive to think that the art world can exist without its market. So I suppose it’s a question of power really – and who that ultimately lies with.

But I really enjoyed the Melbourne Art Fair and it was a great opportunity to connect with some artists and galleries that I’ve worked with or interviewed before. And the venue, the Royal Exhibition Hall in Carlton Gardens, is pretty spectacular.

While I was there I conducted several “On the Couch” artist interviews for Art Collector magazine. I’m not sure I have a career in television journalism ahead of me but nonetheless I enjoyed the experience and was reminded yet again how much I get from talking to artists about their work and what motivates them to make what they do.

And because no trip to Melbourne would be complete without some street art watching…

Kevin Chin profile for Art Collector magazine

Jo Higgins

February 20, 2014

Musings, Writings

I really think one of the greatest privileges that comes with being an ‘Art Writer’ (for want of a less vague term…) is having the opportunity to speak with artists about their work. It sounds obvious, I know. But I’ve always been drawn to the idea of art as a physical, visual expression of sentiment, experience or enquiry. So to have the chance to talk to artists and to learn about why they make art and what they’re trying to say about themselves and the world through it, well sometimes it just blows my mind. I guess I’m just grateful that in an age of budget cuts and curriculum changes and gallery closures and General Uncertainty that there are still people out there who feel compelled to make art.

Late last year Art Collector magazine commissioned me to write a profile on young Melbourne artist Kevin Chin for a special edition they were putting together for Art Stage Singapore, which took place last month. I didn’t know anything about him or his work before starting so to talk with him and to learn about him and his work – its inspiration and its construction – was just so enjoyable. So here’s to artists everywhere.

You can read my profile on Kevin here.

The problem with 'Australia'

Jo Higgins

September 20, 2013

Review, Musings

So I went to the press preview for 'Australia' at the Royal Academy on Tuesday. I'm writing a review for Artlink and for a couple of weeks now I've been worried my instincts (that it would be disappointing, conservative, terrible... that my snobbery and cultural bias would cloud my objectivity...) would get in the way of me looking at the show with an open mind.

And so I tried. And I failed. Because it really isn't great. Does it warrant the casual racism and vitriol dressed as criticism it's receiving in the British press? Well, no. But it's not great. It's not even very good. I'm going to need to let my thoughts percolate for a while yet in the hope that something by way of coherent argument emerges. Because right now it's just an exasperated mash of frustrations.

I can't believe this is the same institution that hosted the seminal Sensation back in 1997. I mean, where's all that curatorial chutzpah gone?

What a missed opportunity. National Gallery of Australia, I'm blaming you too.

Melbourne Art Fair 2014

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Kevin Chin profile for Art Collector magazine

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The problem with 'Australia'

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