Collect Art Fair 2024 celebrates 20 years of contemporary craft and design

In the current artistic landscape, contemporary craft and design symbolise the dynamic junction of tradition, innovation, and individual expression. This diverse field includes everything from furniture and product design to ceramic art and textiles, providing artists and designers with a blank canvas to experiment with new methods, materials, and concepts. Furthermore, contemporary design blurs the lines between practicality and aesthetics, fusing form and function to produce visually captivating useful, and thought-provoking items. Contemporary craft and design, with its focus on innovation, sustainability, and cultural relevance, is a monument to the creative spirit's unwavering ability to uplift, challenge, and enhance.

Adorning London’s Somerset House from March 1 to 3, 2024, Collect Art Fair 2024 celebrates 20 years of trailblazing success as the leading global fair for contemporary craft and design. The art fair will feature 40 international galleries representing more than 400 talented artists in a meticulously organised exhibition showcasing contemporary craft from around the world. Presented by the United Kingdom’s Crafts Council, the annual event is dedicated to promoting contemporary craft to the collectors' market, Collect art fair was established in 2004 as the first international exposition showcasing contemporary craft and design.

“Reaching this milestone edition reinforces not only Collect’s pivotal position as the authority for contemporary craft and design but also strengthens London as a leading cultural destination for the craft and design sector. The fair has continuously pushed boundaries to bring the best in class of new artworks to the market allowing collectors to buy with confidence. The diverse range of galleries for this edition, representing the most exciting international artists making work today, provide yet again exceptional rich content to explore,” shares Isobel Dennis, Collect Fair Director.

In an era where there is a thriving market for acquiring contemporary craft, the Collect art fair offers an unrivalled opportunity to purchase fresh, museum-calibre artwork created by talented artists worldwide. Ceramics, glass, lacquer, furniture design, art jewellery, metalwork, textile and fibre, wood and paper, as well as pieces embracing more unusual materials like resin, mica, cornflour, and plastics, as well as recycled, reused, and repurposed materials, comprise the range of disciplines at Collect art fair.

‘Collect Open’, the fair's platform for experimental proposals and installations by individual artists and collectives will feature 14 intriguing new projects by artists from Northern Ireland, Portugal, Canada, and all around the UK in addition to the international galleries. The artists are selected by a separate expert advisory panel comprising ceramic artist and art activist Bisila Noha, founder of Diamond Awl Leather Workshop and JSY Leatherworks Jason Stocks-Young, Caroline Jackman and Isobel Dennis. ‘Collect Open’ participants are prompted to create work that questions tangible, social, political, or individual perspectives. Leading authorities and voices will come together for the ‘Collect 2024 talks’ to celebrate craft, examine contemporary concerns, and motivate audiences.

In addition to the exhibitors, the fair will return with its longstanding partners, Brookfield Properties, a real estate company collaborating with the Crafts Council for the fifth time. The company will select the winner of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award from among the artists present at Collect. The esteemed LOEWE FOUNDATION will collaborate with the Collect art fair for the seventh time this year as part of the ‘Collect 2024 talks’ programme.

Designing a luxurious area for the Collect VIP Lounge at Somerset House is the art fair's new partner OCHRE. The brand specialises in interior design and produces furniture, accessories and lighting designs. The spectacular, architecturally unique Stamp Stair, a five-story mediaeval staircase at Somerset House, will hang a large-scale hand-woven artwork by British textile artist Margo Selby, represented by Cynthia Corbett Gallery, specifically for Collect 2024.

Collect Art Fair 2024 welcomes collectors and enthusiasts to immerse themselves in creativity and craftsmanship through a wide range of mediums and views. Collect art fair is a cornerstone of the art world, promoting dialogue, analysis, and appreciation for the limitless possibilities of contemporary craft by pushing boundaries and supporting up-and-coming talents.