The culture vultures of west London have never had it so good as Art15 London, returns to Olympia’s grand exhibition halls for a third year running. It is already looking like a crowded calendar with punters spoilt for choice in terms of visual arts. There is also the inaugural Photo London and Chelsea Flower Show vying for supremacy.
- Read more: Photo London – A City Finally in the Frame
But the opening night preview is when organisers try to woo a discerning audience of collectors and visitors. The inaugural edition of the fair, Art13 London, attracted galleries and artists from across the globe and welcomed 25,000 visitors over three days, including a host of celebrities, from fashion photographer Mario Testino to One Direction heart-throb Harry Styles. It was widely acclaimed as the most vibrant fair to debut in the capital in a decade with a varied programme for visitors and serious art connoisseurs.
Art in the city: Times Square, oil on acrylic 2014 © Hisaya Taira
What started as a toe-in-the-water event now seems well-established on the crowded London arts calendar attracting celebrities, art dealers, green-horn collectors, families and even children in tow. The organisers have managed to strike a delicate balance between many palettes with something for everyone.
Vivid arrangements: Floating Turning 2014 © Samia Halaby
If you were struck by the gigantic, mesmerising bottle-top curtain of Ghanian artist El Anatsui draped above the entrance in 2013 and the gigantic red wax installation from a burnt-out candle last year, be prepared for more art that will stimulate all the senses of taste, smell, touch, sight and sound.
Art 15 London, 21 – 23 May 2015. Olympia Grand Hall, Hammersmith Road London, W14 8UX. Nearest train stations: Kensington Olympia, High Street Kensington, Shepherd’s Bush
