In 1999, Will Ramsay declared the rather ambitious mission to “democratise art” – to abandon the notion that art is a pleasure reserved only for the upper classes. Thus the Affordable Art Fair (AAF) was born. So far there have been fairs in 15 cities, including London, Seattle, Mexico City, Milan, Stockholm and Singapore, drawing one million visitors over the years. The man behind the movement spoke to Alisha Haridasani during the inaugural Hong Kong fair.
Which city has the best art scene?
Art is such a place-specific thing. The colours and palette are influenced by how bright and vibrant a city it is. If it’s a sunny city, the art sees more yellows and reds. If it’s Scotland, where I’m from, there are more greys and blues. So every art scene is different. Personally, I find Mexico City exciting because you find really interesting things, like wood cuts, that are not happening elsewhere.
Where is it easiest to do business in the art industry?
Anywhere that is open to free trade. Hong Kong is certainly one of those places because there’s no tax on the import of art. On the other hand, Brazil does have a tax on the import of art so it’s difficult for us there.
What do you enjoy most about travelling?
Experiencing different contemporary cultures, which you can see not only through the people but also by the art. I really enjoy trying to get under the skin of
a culture.
What are your travel pet peeves?
Airport security and the endless queuing. If there were trains that went around the world and they were nearly as fast as planes, I would take trains because you don’t have to queue and you get more space.
How do you deal with jet lag?
If it’s a short enough trip, I try and stay in the time zone that I’ve come from. Otherwise, if it’s a longer trip, I’ll take a sleeping pill each night so that I adjust.
Did you anticipate the AAF would get this big?
Honestly, no. I just wanted to take it one step at a time and try and introduce more people to art. Fortunately, people have responded well.
How do you make the time for your family?
You just have to. So, for example, last week I went to a Milan fair and a London fair but made sure I could see them over the weekend, before flying out to Hong Kong on Monday morning. The policy is to be home for the weekend.
