Tom Jeffreys reviews Zoo Art Fair 2009.
Please note: there is no Zoo 2010.
Sitting in a darkened, chillingly cold warehouse in Shoreditch, the video begins. It's about 5 minutes long and consists almost entirely of various shots of a young man wanking copiously into, onto and over the camera lens. What a charming way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
I'm at Zoo 2009 and, boy, has it changed radically since last year. Booted out of the Royal Academy thanks to Haunch of Venison, and suffering (like us all) from recession tough times, the folks at Zoo Art Enterprises have forged a bold new direction. Moving East may not seem like a big deal (after all, this is where most of the galleries reside) but with Frieze still reclining louchely across Regent's Park, it is something of a gamble: the world's art collectors can be a lazy bunch.
Not only is Zoo 2009 a healthy distance from Frieze geographically, but it is also a million miles away in terms of attitude. And this year – with a whole host of curated projects and only 22 commercial gallery stands – it's leaner and meaner than ever. With money getting scarcer but the world of contemporary art still at times an inaccessible beast, Zoo 2009 could be exactly what everybody needs.
And so to the event itself. I'm normally no fan of video art, but the works in FormContent's space are genuinely engaging; in particular, a documentary-style piece by Dan Shaw-Torn and Tim Winter entitled: At the edge of the world his journey begins, an object's search for autonomy in a world full of things. This strangely poignant video depicts a scruffy fellow assembling some sort of sculpture out of a football and bits of rubbish and lugging it around London. Exploring issues around vagrancy, waste, urban existence and the creative process, there's a sense of futility here, as well as humour and great tenderness. It's wonderful.
To the gallery stands, and the real buzz is around Jason Wallis-Johnson's painstaking works at England & Co. Excruciatingly detailed 3D maps and crisp carbon drawings range from between £1000 and £6000. Judging by all the red stickers, the attention is coming not just from members of the public but from collectors too. At the same gallery I also like Chris Kenny's enchanting work made out of tiny found photographic portraits.
At Mitterrand + Sanz, Zurich, there's two prints by Jonah Freeman that imagine how the ancient Romans might have envisioned the future. Conceptually intriguing, technically precise, and elegantly beautiful: I'd have bought one if I had a spare couple of grand. I also really like the works of Kit Craig, showing at Arcade, London, in which the worlds of art and maths collide to great effect.
The predominant aesthetic here is of something lo-fi and almost DIY. Broken clocks, lighters stuck together, a pile of blankets: there's a series of attempts to respond to the fascinating new multi-site venue. After the exhausting corpulence of Frieze, Zoo 2009 is a patchy but genuinely exciting experience. I just hope this translates into sales.
Zoo 2009 is from 16th-19th October 2009. Tickets are £10.
Please note: there is no Zoo 2010.
Image credits, top to bottom: Panorama 3 Buildings, Courtesy of Zoo Art Enterprises; Kit Craig, installation shot kitcraig.blogspot.com
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