Way back in 1999, when Will Ramsay launched the first Affordable Art Fair, little did the art world know that he had set his aspirations beyond London alone. In fact, Will had set his sights further than England, Europe, and not even America or Hong Kong would satisfy his need to get art to the people. The latest addition to the Affordable Art Fair family is located about as far away from London as is possible; in sunny Australia!

We’re delighted to announce that after a successful 2019 fair, Affordable Art Fair Melbourne will open its doors to the art-loving public from 17 – 20 March, 2022.  And to get you in the mood for all the fun of the fair, here’s everything you need to know about Affordable Art Fair Melbourne 2022.

5 things to know about Affordable Art Fair Melbourne

1. 1000s of artworks under the one roof

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will house 100s of contemporary artworks to browse and buy at Affordable Art Fair Melbourne 2022. It’s the perfect opportunity for everyone, from aspiring to experienced collectors, to view quality contemporary art from a plethora of emerging and prominent artists based in Australia.

Held over three full days in March (plus the VIP Opening night), Affordable Art Fair Melbourne will showcase exciting artworks from a select group of 40+ carefully curated galleries.

The festivities will kick off with our signature Opening Night for VIPs and patrons, taking place on Thursday 17 March. There will be a second opportunity to browse and buy with something bubbly in-hand the following evening, or over the weekend with family and friends. 

2. Get the collecting bug

Just like our family of fairs around the world, the Melbourne fair has a fun and approachable vibe while showcasing affordable art for every taste, space and budget. Our team is filled with art experts with tons of experience in the art market who hand select our galleries – so you’ll be hard pushed to find such a broad selection of quality affordable art under one room anywhere else!

We don’t like to show off, but we’re super proud that the Affordable Art Fair is the world’s biggest art fair organiser (with a total of 13 fairs taking place around the world in 2019) and globally we have welcomed over 2.5 million visitors to one of our fairs, since 1999. We’re pretty sure that they had a good time too, as they took home over 485,000 artworks with them – so no matter what your art experience is we’re here to guide art lovers in their first purchase and introduce collectors to their latest love.

Our aim is to democratise the art world by ensuring that everyone can view and access art in a relaxed and friendly environment, flicking on that collector switch inside the burgeoning collector.

3. You don’t have to be a squillionare to buy art

Its simple really, we’re not all squillionaire’s, so all of the artwork for sale at Affordable Art Fair Melbourne is priced under a ceiling of AU$10,000, with majority of the works within the even more affordable range of under AU$3,000. This way our arty-patrons can be comforted in knowing what to expect before they walk in the door.

Price transparency is really important to us, and all the artworks you’ll see will be clearly labelled to help give you the confidence to consider whether each piece is perfect for your wallet as well as your wall. Don’t forget that you’ll be able to buy, and take art home there and then, plus, get it wrapped up safely beforehand when you visit the free of charge wrapping station.  Once an artwork has found a new home, our family of galleries will then jump in to action to hang a new piece – meaning that if you return for a second visit, you’ll see fresh new pieces on the walls, making the fair experience even more fun and dynamic.

4. Discover art in a new way

The Affordable Art Fair brings with it so many exciting ways to experience art, catering to all levels of art-intrigue.

Browse our Special Projects throughout the fair, with select artists invited to exhibit in dedicated areas, giving them the opportunity to create unique installations and experiences especially for the fair. The Special Projects platform helps our visitors to experience art in new and exciting ways, giving our artists the space to broaden their scale with larger-than-life installations, get dynamic with live artist performances, or even to embrace cutting edge technologies through digital art. As you browse the fair, we’re sure you won’t be able to miss them (get your phones ready any selfie lovers out there).

For anyone who loves to be the first in the know, don’t miss the Young Talent Victoria exhibition which will showcase the hottest emerging artists, chosen by an experienced curatorial and programming team. This is a real chance for collectors to access undiscovered local and emerging talent.

5. Indulge yourself with delicious food and drink

Finally, the yummy food and drinks options at Affordable Art Fair Melbourne will ensure visitors don’t get “fair-tigue”. The Affordable Art Fair only works with the best food, drink and coffee partners to make the whole fair experience enjoyable and delicious. Whether you are looking for a glass of bubbles or prefer to power-up with a cappuccino – the fair will provide the very best culinary experience for foodies.

So, what are you waiting for? After the success of Affordable Art Fair Melbourne 2019, we can’t wait to be celebrating with a fun-filled fair at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre – perfect for art-lovers from Melbourne and beyond. Sign up to our mailing list and mark the date in your diary (17 – 20 March) as this is a not-to-be-missed event.