art: dallas art fair preview (pink rickshaw)

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."-Thomas Merton

The Dallas Art Fair returns for its seventh year this weekend and the event has steadily grown in both international recognition and local popularity. GOOD magazine probably put it best saying that the contemporary art fair is "the newest in a series of international art events vying to become the next Art Basel Miami Beach." And the event may get there soon with its increasing ability to attract some of the best and established contemporary art galleries from all over the world. This year's fair has over 90 galleries exhibiting from Latin America, Europe, the U.S. and Mexico. And to add some local flair, renowned and newer galleries from Dallas and Houston are also in the mix. Here's a look at some of the offerings from a few of the galleries.

1 and 2. Artist Despina Stokou (Derek Eller Gallery, New York)
The Derek Eller Gallery is doing a solo booth of Stokou's work which utilizes "cyber language" in her works. In her painting on the left, gallery Director Brian Faucette told me that she googled the word "avocado". She then incorporated the html code of the google results into the work (which is the lettering that you see).

3. Artist Carlos Cruz-Diez (Sicardi Gallery, Houston)

4. Artist Lauren Luloff (Halsey McKay Gallery, East Hampton)

5. Artist Manolo Valdes (Marlborough Chelsea, New York)

6. Artist Keith Mayerson (Marlborough Chelsea, New York)
Ok, just when you were starting to get all arty and take yourself too seriously.. how great is this Miss Piggy?

7. Artist Jesus Rafael Soto (Galerie Perrotin, Paris, Hong Kong, New York)
Galerie Perrotin has one of the most anticipated exhibits of the fair with works from renowned artists like Venezuelan Jesus Rafael Soto (who passed away in 2005) and Daniel Arsham. Arsham (his work is pictured above in the title picture) casts materials such as volcanic ash and glacial rock dust into objects like laptops, cameras and musical instruments. Collectors of his art include JayZ and Pharrell.

Notable Dallas galleries are also exhibiting including the Talley Dunn Gallery (number 10), Barry Whistler Gallery and Zhulong Gallery (who is exhibiting at the fair for the first time. Zhulong Gallery's exhibit focuses on the relationships between art and technology with an interesting mix of sculptures, video and prints.
8. Artist Renee Cox (Zhulong, Gallery, Dallas)

9. Artist Matthew Plummer-Fernandez [HD video] (Zhulong Gallery, Dallas)

Dallas Art Fair is located in the Fashion Industry Gallery (1807 Ross Ave). Fair hours are 11am-7pm Friday and Saturday and 12pm-6pm Sunday. Tickets start at $25 for a one-day pass. You can also preview most of the exhibited art at Artsy.
In addition to the fair, there are numerous events and galas this week (MTV RE:DEFINE at the Goss-Michael Foundation, Saturday's Art Ball at the DMA) for Dallas Art Fair but among the most notable was the opening of exhibitions by Nate Lowman, David Salle and multi-media artist Anila Quayyum Agha at the Dallas Contemporary on Wed. Agha's installation Intersections has been getting quite a lot of buzz and even if you cannot make it this week, it will be exhibiting until August 23. Pictured left, the installation is a "genderless, non-denominational, illuminated, spiritual temple" for visitors of the museum. Definitely worth checking out.