Kunst Rai

Amsterdam hosts a number of art fairs throughout the year, catering to the needs of art lovers of all sorts. We see the likes of Amsterdam Art Fair, Affordable Art Fair, This Art Fair and PAN, to name but a few. If you want to learn more about the current state of contemporary Dutch art this spring, KunstRAI is the place to go to.

KunstRAI in Amsterdam

From 4 to 8 April 2018, KunstRAI will present itself to the public again. As the longest-running art fair for contemporary autonomous and applied art in the Netherlands, it is one of the most important fairs in the city. The English title that KunstRAI goes by these days is Art Amsterdam. KunstRAI is focussed on modern and contemporary art by Dutch artists or artists living all over the Netherlands, not merely those in Amsterdam. Over 80 galleries present the current state of Dutch art, by showing the diversity and quality of the country’s art and design.

Focus Barcelona

KunstRAI presents art in all forms, shapes, and sizes. Visitors can gaze at autonomous painting and sculpture, photography, video art, and graphic art, but also applied arts such as ceramics, glass, and jewellery. These are exhibited by a number of established galleries that show a selection of their talented artists. But there are also a few international galleries at KunstRAI, such as the ones that are selected for Focus Barcelona. After Antwerp and Berlin, at this 34th edition of KunstRAI, it is time for Barcelona to send a delegation to Amsterdam. Barcelona has played an important role in the art scene with its galleries, museums, artists, and strong community of art collectors. Seven galleries are invited to showcase the current offer of Spanish contemporary art.

Supporting young artists

But there is more. KunstRAI has an impressive program to stimulate and showcase the art of young, emerging talents. Ten galleries are given the opportunity to present themselves to a large audience at the RAW Edge stands, with the work of young artists on display.

A special part of the fair is reserved for the young creative collective WOW. WOW is a creative breeding ground in Amsterdam where artists work and live, inspiring each other and creating a mix of visual art, fashion, design, music, and film. It results in exciting new art that is a pleasure to experience. Another example is the show by the students of the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. They have the opportunity to present their work to a broad audience in a space at the backstage of KunstRAI.

Affordable art

For the last couple of years, the art world has increasingly been focussing on a new, younger audience. These young art lovers generally don’t have a lot of money to spend on their first art purchases. Fairs are starting to cater to them more and more. Affordable Art Fair, held in multiple cities throughout the world, is a fine example. KunstRAI hosts its own little version of this with Art Cabinet. For the second time, they present artworks that can be purchased for less than € 1,500 from the participating galleries, to fit the budget of starting collectors. So even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend, a visit to the KunstRAI might be the start of your own art collection.