Spring 1883
One of Australia’s most innovative and interesting art fairs, Spring 1883 returns this August in its fifth iteration as part of Melbourne Art Week. 24 Australian and International galleries, including emerging talent and long-established institutions, will exhibit in suites of Melbourne’s Grand Heritage Hotel, Hotel Windsor, led by Geoff Newton (Director, Neon Parc), Vikki McInnes and Kate Barber (Directors, Sarah Scout Presents) and Vasili Kaliman (art advisor).
Located across four levels of the hotel, Spring 1883 invites the public to interact and engage in this immersive exhibition – a departure from the typical ‘white box’ format of most traditional art fairs. As the exhibition evolves, the art fair attends to the demands of an audience who now crave experience-driven viewing, whilst gallerists and producers find innovative new ways to showcase contemporary works.
Tapping into the growing trend of immersive art, Spring 1883 sees galleries and artists engaging narrative to provide further context to environmental, social and historical concerns, all breaking boundaries of the traditional white-walled space.
A must see this year will be The Project Room: In Bloom, curated by Madé Spencer-Castle and Jeremy Eaton. Playing on the word ‘blossoming’ the room will combine a diverse range of early career artists and established artists in a baroque installation of florally themed artwork and floristry by Cecilia Fox.
With the likes of Roslyn Oxley9, Darren Knight Gallery and Jan Murphy Gallery, Spring 1883 is sure to inspire and engage audiences with another program of supremely talented contemporary artists.
Spring 1883 is free admission.
Wednesday 1 August – VIP and Media Previews by Invitation
Thursday 2 August – 12-7pm
Friday 3 August – 12-8pm – followed by SPRING1883 Artist Party
Saturday 4 August – 12-7pm
Images in order:
Christian Thompson, This Brutal World, 2017
Anna Varendorff, Edging Over Vase, 2018
Heide Holmes, I am Infertile, 2016
Patricia Piccinini, The Couple, 2018
David Noonan
Gerwyn Davies, Stairwell, 2018
Gerwyn Davies, Suite, 2018
Vivian Cooper-Smith, Flowerball Daisy, 2014
Lorilee Yang, Thistles, 2017
Cover image: Gerwyn Davies, Ballroom, 2018
Credit: Spring 1883
