Art on paper at the Lugano fair

Why Wopart?

«Lugano, a city with an important presence in the art world, with the LAC representing a cultural center of excellence, with galleries and a qualified audience of collectors and enthusiasts, deserved its own art fair. For this reason, last year we launched the Wopart project, Work on Paper Fair, which immediately met with flattering success. Now we are called to confirm the results obtained and the conditions are all there, with a significant growth of exhibitors, significant collaborations and a dense program of initiatives that will involve the whole city ».

Can we go into more detail on the 2017 Wopart program?

Let's say right away that this second edition will present works of art on paper including Ancient (about 10%), Modern (30%), Contemporary (50%) and photography (10%). We have decided to focus on a sector that, in recent years, has met with increasing interest: works on paper. An example of this is not only the success of historical fairs such as the Salon du Dessin in Paris, specialized in antique drawing - a genre that is anything but minor, especially from the end of the nineteenth century onwards, when it gained its artistic autonomy -, but also what happens in the context of prestigious fairs such as the Tefaf in Maastricht, where the section dedicated to paper has grown year after year, attracting collectors. Furthermore, the line of works on paper is an immense mine: many contemporary galleries have a large collection of drawings that perhaps they do not exhibit and Wopart is an opportunity to do so ».

Which audience is the fair aimed at?

«The works on paper, by different artists and historical periods, attract the attention of a large slice of collectors. Not only expert collectors, who can find some gems, but also medium and small collectors, who want to have the satisfaction of buying an antique print or a sketch by Picasso without spending exorbitant amounts. A fair like Wopart is democratic, not in the sense of low cost, but a place where, with a reasonable investment, you can get hold of quality works. The latter, moreover, belong to a very broad time horizon which constitutes one of the peculiar characteristics of the fair ».

How is the organization of the fair structured?

«Organized by the LoboSwisse company, Wopart avails itself of an international scientific committee to select galleries and ensure the quality of the event. We expect the presence of about 70 galleries, including some important Lugano, Italian and international names, with significant arrivals from Argentina, Mexico, New York, Paris and London. The participation as media partners of all the most important press and television publications from Ticino and Italy has been confirmed. And then, the program of collateral events that we are organizing within Wopart and in the city of Lugano is also prominent ».

What is it more precisely?

«Certainly very interesting is the exhibition on the artist's book organized by Marco Scotini which will involve about 40 important collectors and will take place in a prestigious Lugano venue. And then a photography exhibition organized by the Camera, a review organized by the Museum of Cultures and a whole series of talks in which important cultural figures and operators in the sector will participate. Furthermore, a path is being studied inside the main city galleries that will give life to special events and exhibitions ».

So an involvement of the city at various levels ...

"Of course. I found a significant growth of interest on the part of city institutions and a willingness to collaborate to organize significant events. We have great expectations as regards the response of the public and collectors as well, because we are convinced that Wopart has all the numbers to grow and establish itself as a quality event that fits well within the framework of the cultural activities of the city of Lugano ».