Kittoe Contemporary Awarded Best Stand at London Art Fair

Kicking off the year with a much-needed splash of colour, London Art Fair (17th–21st January) saw galleries from as far as Glasgow, Cornwall, and Newcastle, alongside a strong cohort of London’s finest, descended upon England’s capital to exhibit a diverse selection of works, ranging from Modern British to Global Contemporary pieces.

One of the city’s most accessible fairs, London Art Fair plays host to 25,000 visitors and to over 100 galleries (nearly half of which are Artlogic clients). 2024 marks the first time the fair has presented the Best Stand Award and partnered with Artlogic to support the initiative. Joe Elliott, Artlogic CEO, judged alongside independent curator Beth Greenacre, and curator/advisor Alistar Hicks.

The judges’ criteria were: accessibility of the art, the promotion of artist(s) represented, and the quality of supporting materials provided. After much deliberation, the award was given to South London-based gallery Kittoe Contemporary, with the judges especially impressed by the stand’s solo show, noting the creative use of space and stunning visual impact.

We caught up with Katherine Kittoe, founder and director of Kittoe Contemporary, to hear more about the gallery’s experience at the fair and beyond.

Katherine Kittoe, Founder of Kittoe Contemporary. Photo credits: Graham Turner

What's the most exciting thing about exhibiting at an art fair?

The buzz – the people, the energy, the unpredictability! It’s great to meet art lovers/collectors in person and see their response to the artworks I’m presenting. The spark of joy when a collector falls for an artwork is magic and motivates me through each long day.

Henry and I were bowled over to win Best Stand – it was wonderful validation for our vision!

When curating a booth, what story do you aim to tell?

It changes from show to show and artist to artist. Fundamentally I want to present an exciting, coherent exhibition and do the artist justice. We called Henry Ward’s solo show Medusa & Other Stories as it focuses on his impressive 2 x 3.2m diptych Medusa, inspired by Gericault’s The Raft Of the Medusa, 1818-1819, which depicts the shipwreck of French naval frigate Medusa in 1816.

Many stories whirl around both the event and the famous painting – only 15 of 147 people survived and resorted to cannibalism before their rescue – the artist shaved his head and locked himself away until he finished the painting. That’s before we start on Henry’s own story of the journey to paint his Medusa. There are many layers of stories to share about an artwork, not least the stories that the viewer brings to it.Kittoe Contemporary, London Art Fair booth. Photo credits: Graham Turner

As a nomadic gallery, what advice would you give to other galleries looking to establish themselves without a brick and mortar space?

Fairs are a great way to reach new audiences and get direct feedback in the absence of a brick and mortar gallery. They are intense and often high risk – I absolutely love them!

I come from an auction background so I’ve been trained to thrive in this event cycle. Planning is essential so that once you’re on site you can focus on the collectors. Being nomadic has been advantageous over recent years whilst dealing with the impact of Brexit, Covid and the cost of living crisis as I’ve been agile and can easily adapt.

Our week was filled with great conversations, feedback and sales – it was a great start to the year.

Your London Art Fair booth shone a solo spotlight on Henry Ward – what made you decide to go with a solo artist, and what benefits did you see from doing so?

I fell for Henry’s epic re-imagining of Gericault’s The Raft of The Medusa and knew it would be an absolute showstopper at the fair so took the leap and proposed a solo show. The opportunity to focus on Henry and celebrate the breadth of his work was exciting and daunting in equal measure.

It’s high risk but a really impactful way to introduce an artist to a discerning audience that ranges from individual collectors to art advisors, interior designers and corporate buyers looking to invest. Our week was filled with great conversations, feedback and sales – it was a great start to the year.
Works from Medusa & Other Stories, Henry ward. Photo credits: Graham Turner

I've recently started using the Artlogic database and it's really taken the weight off my fair preparation.

As winner of the Artlogic Best Stand Award, what advice would you give other galleries preparing for an art fair?

Follow your instinct. When I’ve compromised it’s tended to backfire. Henry and I were bowled over to win Best Stand – it was wonderful validation for our vision. Work with artists whose work you love and believe passionately about.

On a practical note, I've recently started using the Artlogic database and it's really taken the weight off my fair preparation. I can pull together targeted client lists quickly, and easily track interest/enquiries. I'm looking forward to launching my Artlogic website where I hope to feel the benefits of streamlining all elements of the business.

Finally, what golden nugget of knowledge do you wish you'd known at the start of your journey as a gallerist?

The art world isn’t as intimidating as it seems. Fellow galleries have been kind, supportive and happy to share their experience. There’s wonderful camaraderie at fairs and I’ve made great friends over the last five years.
Katherine Kittoe and Henry Ward admire Medusa. Photo credits: Graham Turner