PAF London

A reader added this one, (http://www.parallaxaf.co/)

any comments from anyone on this?

3 comments
  • Anonymous

    Parallax art fair or PAF are VERY UNPROFESSIONAL and a real scam preying on young artists – google this fair and you will find so many complaining that there was no marketing, that they turned up to find no lighting and bad booths, that the team was completely unprofessional. Remember at an artist’s fair like this YOU are the client, they earn by taking your money, and do not have incentives to help you make money from your customers (visitors) therefore you really have to be 100% confident in the fair and do research them widely. I have been in a battle with these guys for years and their leader ‘Dr Chris Barlow’ refuses to remove me from the marketing list and has been so rude to me every time I have asked. Here is one of the emails I got from him years ago, pasted below, it’s really all about how he is such an ‘enlightened person’ that I should not question being part of his mailing list….

    > Hi,
    >
    > I have removed you, but I haven’t got a clue who you are. I do note that
    > you are on Jotta though. And I do tend to receive the most replies from
    > some artists on that site about “quality level” without much knowledge
    > of that concept when they are asked. You might want to read my latest
    > blog post which is all about artists like that and “special knowledge”
    > http://drchrisbarlowparallax.blogspot.co.uk/
    >
    > And no one is begging anyone. I think you’ve made that up.
    >
    > Sure, what I have to say about art objects is challenging and new for
    > some, and people have their castles to protect, so I doubt everyone is
    > going to have nice things to say!
    >
    > CB

    MY REPLY:

    > Dear Chris,
    >
    > I have not read your writing, so I am not commenting on your opinions/views. I am simply commenting on the fact that I have asked you around 4-5 times to remove me from your mailing list, each time you promise you will, and then I continue to receive requests to display at your fair. Perhaps it is a system glitch, but it is unprofessional and gives a feeling of being spammed by you. Given the other two emails I forwarded you earlier, I am sure you can see how frustrating it is for me.
    >
    > I have no idea about the ‘quality level’ of your fair – however, the impression I get from this dialogue with you and the spamming, is that it is not very high. My point is, if this is a mistaken impression, you may want to take steps to avoid me and others like me from having these same frustrations and impressions.
    >
    >
    >

    CHRIS’s REPLY:

    Hi,

    Thanks for your email.

    Do read the writing. Life is short and I don’t want to be at
    loggerheads. Parallax is a metaphor, and some people really do need to
    grapple with alternative ideas. There is a new “sound” in the air. I
    repeat: as I say to many, I don’t give a damn whether you exhibit or
    not, but take away the ideas behind it. Don’t miss it. There is an
    extensive bibliography in the back of the original Parallax catalogue
    (it was originally a research exhibition):
    http://www.barlowfinedrawings.com/archiveessays.html (it’s at the
    bottom the page).

    Take care to you and best of luck,

    Chris
    ——-

  • Inês

    Been at PAF in London in 2018. Terrible selection (or no selection at all), not enough audience and no exceptional exhibition spaces for the amount paid. The only good part of it was meeting some of the wonderful artists that weren’t happy about the fair either (2 or 3). I would suggest investing your money elsewhere.

  • Jon Taner

    Entered the NYC version several years ago. Disappointed. After making the entry deadline,being accepted to show, after review by a jury, paying a small sum, figured the show was closed out and not taking on any more artists. The day of the opening an artist appears in a booth close by and tells me he was accepted at the door, and paid less for his space. Aside from the uneven quality of work, a poor location,and it being an off season in NYC, it was an interesting experience!

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