From 15to 20 May, the 29th edition of the KunstRAI will take place in Amsterdam.  For the first time in twenty years KunstRAI will again be organized by theKunstbeurs Foundation. KunstRAI is the longest running contemporary art fair in the Netherlands. Over 75 well-known and emerging galleries show contemporary autonomous and applied art and design to a wide audience of connoisseurs and art lovers.

SoloStands
Adjacent to the regular stands twenty solo booths will feature the work of one artist to create greater understanding and appreciation of the artist and his work.

RawEdges
Again this year exhibition space is offered to eight young galleries on favorable terms. These galleries are presented under the name ‘RawEdges’ and selected by Bob Smith, gallery owner and organizer of the RAW Art Fair in Rotterdam. The selected galleries are offered an opportunity to present themselves and the work of young talents.

Campaign image
The image is designed by the legendary graphic designer Anthon Beeke, who from 1994 to 2002 and again since 2012 created a famous series of posters for KunstRAI. The senses with which art is seen, tasted and experienced, are the central theme of the series of designs. Famous people and artists are hidden behind changing masks.

Kunstbeurs Foundation
With the re-erected Kunstbeurs Foundation, KunstRAI is back in the hands of an independent, non-profit institution which purpose is to organize the best possible event for participants.

Board
Annabelle Birnie, Director Drents Museum
Gert Jan Hox, The Hox Office
Liesbeth Jansen, Director Linkeroever
Roos van Put, Chief Editor Kunstbeeld
Melle Daamen*, Director Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam

Committeeof Recommendation
Eberhard van der Laan, Mayor of Amsterdam
Hans Bakker, Managing Director Amsterdam RAI
Victoria & Henk de Heus, Collectors of contemporary art
Erik Kessels, Creative Director Kessels Kramer
Wim van Krimpen, Gallery owner, founder KunstRAI
Benno Tempel*, Director Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
Joost Zwagerman, Writer and essayist

Gallery Selection Committee
Peter Fransman, Director Museum Het Domein, Sittard
Doede Hardeman, Curator Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
Piet de Jonge, Former curator Van Abbe Museum Kröller-Müller Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Harry Tupan, Curator Contemporary Art Drents Museum

Collectors advisory
Henri Swagemakers, Collector
Pieter Sanders, Collector and art advisor
Ella van Zanten, Curator art collection Rabobank

An participants advisory committee and a collectors advisory committee are in the making.

* Not yet confirmed

Read here a report on KunstRAI 2012 by Metropolis M

 Final statement, June 3rd

While the last day of the fair is coming to an end, we as organization, can say we have booked a success. Together with the 68 participants, we managed to get over 12,000 people in 5 days to the RAI. That is an increase of more than 10% per participant over the past few years.

The completely different approach and the new, wider range was noticed by the majority of the public and the press and was labeled as open, rejuvenating, accessible, changing, diverse, fresh and top-level.

For a moment these past five days, The KunstRAI was the workshop of Holland.

Guido Marseille designed the white, wooden furniture and the ‘origami’ supports for the 50 birch trees standing troughout the hall, symbolizing this new beginning of an old tradition which will have its 29thfollow-up edition from the 15th to the 20thof May 2013.

Stichting Kunstbeurs

History KunstRAI

In connection with the recent developments concerning KunstRAI and Art Amsterdam, following is a short summary of the history of this event.

The KunstRAI was founded in 1985 by Wim van Krimpen, who used the Stichting Kunstbeurs to aid this organization. In 1991, Jaap Witzenhausen took over the organization for one year, after which the Stichting Kunstbeurs was placed in the hands of Erik Hermida. In 1994, Stichting Kunstbeurs handed the titel KunstRAI over to the RAI and was deposed of. In 1997, the RAI also took over the title of Art Amsterdam. The name Art Amsterdam was added as a subtitle to KunstRAI.

From 1992 until 2002, the fair was organized in the name of Amsterdam RAI by Erik Hermida. He was succeeded by Anneke Oele. In 2006, the RAI decided to drop the name KunstRAI and organize the fair under the name of Art Amsterdam.

In 2012, Anneke Oele quit and Edo Dijksterhuis was appointed as the new director. After the 2011 edition, he decided to take the fair to a new direction. The Art Amsterdam 2012 was to move to a new location in Amsterdam Noord and was to be held in the fall, instead of the spring. The fair was to be smaller with a more international character.

After this was made public, several gallery owners decided to organize the KunstRAI again. After discussing it with the RAI, they concluded it was going to be held in the same location and in the same period of time (May/June) as the previous versions of the fair. Erik Hermida was asked to, together with gallery owner Mark Slegers, organize the event. For this purpose, Stichting Kunstbeurs was founded once again. The fair states itself as a national fair, which gives a greater perspective of the diversity and the quality of the modern, contemporary and autonomous art.