With 41 artists from Guadeloupe, Martinique, France and Canada, more than 6,000 unique visits to the website for more than 200,000 interactions across all platforms, the Frère Independent association, which organizes the annual Pool Art Fair Guadeloupe, believes it has succeeded in this first online and 3D immersion in contemporary art.
Thierry Alet presents several results which justify that he was right to proceed with the 11th edition of the Pool Art Fair which took place from October 9 to 11, when he could have cancelled it, as were thousands of cultural events in Guadeloupe and around the world because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When I ask myself the question, this is what I find : the fair would not have created this transition in a digital form that other fairs have already embraced; artists and the public in Guadeloupe would not have been confronted with a 3D exhibition anytime soon (…), we can also say that, for once, our artists are participating in real time in the technological transition and not 3 to 10 years later ; more than 40 artists would not have received more than 6,000 unique visits to the website for more than 200,000 interactions all platforms combined ; more than 40 artists would not have had the pressure (despite us) to update their digital presence ; more than 20 people (all together) who would have been without an activity, therefore without income and without social, human and artistic experience ; more than 30 private and institutional partners would not have been able to accompany the artists in their need to spread art, nor to associate their name with art and a unique digital experience ; thousands of visitors abroad would not have been confronted with the art of Guadeloupe (…)”.
Support from public and private partners
Therefore, the artist and president of the association Frère Independent which organizes the largest contemporary art fair in Guadeloupe considers that this edition like no other allowed to lay the groundwork for greater democratization and internationalization of contemporary art “made in Guadeloupe”…
This digital exhibition – Online 3D Pool Art Fair – hosted 41 artists (painters, graffiti artists, photographers, videographers, sculptors, designers…) in two digital exhibition halls of 1,200 m2 each. In hall A, there were 22 artists and in hall B, 19 artists, each presenting 5 works. A link was available for visitors to make a purchase. HALL A CATALOGUE / HALL B CATALOGUE
With regard to the origin of the exhibitors, we can see that the largest contingent is composed of artists from or residing in Guadeloupe (33) but, despite the “covidianity”, Martinique (2), France (2) and Canada (4) were also present at this annual international meeting.
One would have thought that the announcement of the financial deterioration of companies due to the Covid-19 crisis would have stopped the sponsoring but this was not the case since several private partners continued to support artists by giving them grants allowing them, among other things, to pay the registration fees for the Pool Art Fair. Three local public authorities also supported artists financially.
A digital exhibition with a future
These exhibiting artists had the opportunity to introduce themselves and explain their artistic approach to visitors through videos that were broadcast on several social networks (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram) as well as on the Pool Art Fair website. These videos collected 5,736 views.
The two conferences on the themes “Art publications in Guadeloupe: current situation” and “Photography”, which were filmed at La Darse market hall in Pointe-à-Pitre and broadcast live on Facebook, had 5,717 views as of October 22, 2020.
As for the teasers produced in four languages (French, English, Spanish and Italian) by the association to promote the Pool Art Fair among Internet users in Guadeloupe, the Caribbean and the rest of the world before its inauguration, they were seen 123,084 times on social networks (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram).
For the association Frère Independent, the decision to create this digital exhibition was not a “desperate gesture but the result of the study of global trends”. Finally, the organization underlines that if the 2019 Pool Art Fair at the Pointe-à-Pitre cruise terminal received 7,000 visitors for nearly 100 artists, the 2020 Pool Art Fair online and in 3D counted about 6,000 unique visitors for 41 artists.
Note that until December, works from the Pool Art Fair are shown at the Art Ruche gallery-café in Pointe-à-Pitre.
GUADELOUPE: Thierry Alet; Alfrédus; Antonwè; Ruddy Bellon (winner of the Région Guadeloupe grant); Astrid Billy (winner of the Région Guadeloupe grant); CeDo; Djafri; Emji Klick (winner of the Alain Afflelou grant); Valéry Gabon; Alain Lacki; Patricia Lollia; Mister Co; François Piquet (winner of the Montblanc grant); Judith Tchakpa (winner of the CLI grant); Amandine Uger; Yelow; Armanval; Alice-Anne Augustin; Céline Chat; Eyone; Martine Fazer (winner of the City of Le Moule grant) ; Ggpiks (winner of The Nord Guadeloupe grant); Iwo (winner of the City of Le Moule grant); Olivier Kancel (winner of the City of Le Moule grant); Kitsimi; Kmarionk; Labise; Edwige M.; Mamie Tiban; Bertrand Tiberge; Steek Oner (winner of the Lafarge Ciment Antilles grant); Steeve Vérin; Zoé (winner of the Coalys grant).
MARTINIQUE: Carole Aurore (winner of the Siapoc grant); Habdaphai (winner of the Sofidexco grant)
FRANCE: Adly; UH
CANADA: Bai; Diana Rosa; Marcelo Suaznabar; Zoya Taylor
