Winter Art & Antiques Fair Olympia Unveils Line-up of Specialist Speakers & Enlightening Talks

Winter Art & Antiques Fair Olympia (31 October – 5 November 2017) is set to return for its 27^th year as the flagship art and antiques event of the Winter season.  The Fair hosts a talks programme featuring an exciting line-up of leading experts.

USING ART IN HEALTHCARE DESIGN, BRITISH INSTITUTE OF INTERIOR DESIGN

Gilly craft, BIID PRESIDENT ELECT

Gilly Craft, BIID President Elect will be leading a discussion on using art in a healthcare environment and will explore the benefits and potential challenges that must be considered. In this talk, Gilly will use real-life case studies from her work as an award-winning healthcare designer and offer advice and practical tips on how to utilise art in an environment where health and wellbeing are a top priority.

Wednesday 1 November 12:30 to 13:30

Gilly Craft is also MD and lead designer at Koubou Interiors. With a distinction from the Regent Academy in London she founded the company in 2004 after tutoring at her local college.

By specialising in healthcare design, Craft’s portfolio ranges from the refurbishment of various departments at an NHS hospital, including a new wing and that of a private London hospital to a children’s centre for those with disabilities and most recently a dental practice.

Residential projects have included the complete remodel of the interior space of several properties together with the bespoke design of bathrooms and joinery.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT COMMISSIONING ART, MALL GALLERIES

Annabel elton, consultant & anna bromwich, art advisor AND curator

Art advisor and curator, Anna Bromwich and consultant Annabel Elton will talk through what commissioning art involves.  Whilst the concept goes back years, it has particular traction today with our desire to differentiate and personalise be it in the workplace or in the home. It is also much more accessible than it has been in the past. Elton & Bromwich from Mall Galleries will explain how commissioning art is an enjoyable and special experience: a meeting of minds between patron and artist.  It will entail choosing the right artist – the most important stage and then managing the process, both party’s expectations and ensuring good communication.

Thursday 2 November at 12:30 to 13:30

Mall Galleries hosts more than 40 exhibitions each year in its vibrant, contemporary gallery spaces in Central London. The art consultancy specialises in commissioning and curating fine art for both private individuals and corporate clients.  It has accrued experience over 45 years as part of the Federation of British Artists, a registered charity, based at Mall Galleries.  It has established links with thousands of artists across the UK and abroad making it perfectly poised to source art and artists.

Annabel Elton has over thirty years’ experience as a consultant and specialises in portraiture. She works closely with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters using her expertise to match people with the right artist for their commission.

Anna Bromwich has ten years’ experience as an art advisor and curator. She works with commissions for private individuals and curates, commissions and sources work for the business sector.

THE PAINTED HALL AT GREENWICH: CONSERVING A MASTERPIECE, OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE

william palin, CONSERVATION DIRECTOR

Fair visitors will learn about the conservation of the Old Royal Naval College, one of Britain’s architectural wonders from William Palin, Conservative Director at the Old Royal Naval College. The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich is one of Britain’s architectural wonders. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1751 as the Royal Hospital for Seamen, its spectacular riverside buildings are now a major visitor attraction. At its heart is the world famous Painted Hall which boasts 40,000 square feet of superb decorative painting, executed between 1707 and 1726 by the English artist Sir James Thornhill.

In 2016 the Old Royal Naval College embarked on an ambitious and challenging project to clean and conserve Thornhill’s monumental paintings and ensure their preservation for future generations. The project, due for completion in 2019, includes a ground-breaking public access component, with a huge scaffolding deck open to visitors to allow a close encounter both with Thornhill’s paintings and with the conservators at work. In this talk William Palin will discuss both the delights and challenges of this landmark project.

Friday 3 November 20017 at 14:30 to 15:30

William Palin is conservation director at the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich and is an architectural writer and historian, working previously as exhibitions curator at Sir John Soane’s Museum and as Director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage. He is also a trustee of the Ancient Monuments Society and chair of the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust.

TRAVEL IN STYLE: EARLY 20TH CENTURY TRANSPORT AND TRAVEL

VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM – dr gregory votolato, curator

Dr. Gregory Votolato, author, architect and curator at the V&A introduces developments in local and global transportation in the first half of the 20th century that enabled the expansion of empires.

This talk introduces developments in local and global transportation in the first half of the 20th century through a study of the

vessels, vehicles, aircraft and infrastructure that enabled the expansion and maintenance of empires, that provided the means of mass migration, and that allowed millions of business and leisure travellers to become citizens of the world.

Votolato will talk through the innovative designers, builders, engineers and artists who advanced the technology, comfort and style of the major types of motorised transport during a period of major technological advances and increasing international commerce, viewing their work in relation to the aesthetic, social, political, and economic issues of the time.

Saturday 4 November 14:30 to 15:30

Dr. Gregory Votolato is an architect, curator, teacher and writer on design, technology and culture. His publications include American Design in the Twentieth Century (Manchester, 1998), Transport Design, A Travel History (Reaktion, 2007), Ship, (Reaktion, 2011), and Car (Reaktion, 2015). Votolato is Course Director of the Iconic Buildings series and Travel in Style, at the Victoria & Albert Museum and tutor in Critical and Historical Studies (Vehicle Design) at the Royal College of Art in London.

COLLECTING THE ‘UNCOLLECTiBLES’: THE STUDY COLLECTION AT THE MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ART, BATH, MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ART  

Dr nicole chiang, curator

Dr Nicole Chiang, Curator at the Museum of East Asian Art, will demonstrate how to equip oneself with better knowledge by actively acquiring and studying ‘uncollectibles’. The description alone can alter with the shifting perceptions as well as the movement of objects.  The study collection at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath consists of some two hundred objects, including authentic ceramics as well as copies and imitations.

These objects were mostly assembled by the art dealer Bluett & Sons and the collector Sydney Smith in the UK in the 20^th century.  Chiang will explain that this dealer and collector armed themselves with deeper knowledge of the Chinese ceramics market by collecting and studying these pieces which helps with studies in this field and when finding new pieces on the market. This calls for redefining the word ‘uncollectibles’ and new approach to these pieces.

Sunday 5 November 12:30 to 13:30

Dr Nicole Chiang is the Curator at the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath.  She began her museum career at the National Palace Museum in Taipei and was Research Assistant at the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge.  She received her PhD from SOAS, University of London in 2012 with her thesis “Reconsidering the Collection of the Qing Imperial Household during the Qianlong Reign.”

FAIR TOURS BY VANESSA CURRY, ART ADVISOR

Fair visitors can also discover a hand-picked selection of exemplary pieces available to purchase from around the Fair, where independent art advisor, Vanessa Curry and her expert team will illustrate the latest trends in decorative design and fine art purchasing. Held daily 13.30

Standard advance admission to the fair is £15* and £20 on the door.

The Winter Art & Antiques Fair Olympia will take place at the Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX.

For more information visit www.olympia-antiques.com.