Becoming the unknowing owner of a priceless piece of art is the stuff that dreams are made of. Whether it’s that Renaissance painting found in a French kitchen that sold for 24 million euros, or another French man who found a lost Caravaggio masterpiece in his attic that went for $171 million, the stories of stumbling across a crazy valuable piece of art are pretty thrilling.
Now, for all art fans in Sydney, this very same feeling (perhaps not on quite the same value scale) could become a reality, thanks to the Incognito Art Fair – a massive art sale where every artwork on sale is $100 a pop – you choose an artwork you love the look of, but you only get to find out who the artist is after you buy it.
This Russian Roulette-style art show kicks off on Saturday, July 13 and will feature original works by the likes of 2022 Archibald Prize Winner Blak Douglas, 2023 Archibald Prize Winner Julia Gutman (one of Time Out Sydney’s Future Shapers for 2024, and the artist responsible for this year’s Lighting of the Sails at Vivid) and 2024 Archibald Winner Laura Jones, who has entered three works into the show. In fact, among the artists contributing this year’s show, 24 are finalists for this year’s Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes – with works by Emily Crockford, Thom Roberts, Daniel Kim, Meagan Pelham and more meaning you could walk away with an incredibly valuable masterpiece for the impossibly affordable price of $100.
One of the main aims of the Incognito Art Show, though, is taking on the exorbitant wankery of the art world and getting rid of the whole ‘I'm buying this thing I don’t really like the look of but I'm gonna do it because it’s by a big name’ thing. This art fair is about getting hold of an artwork you actually love – regardless of whether it’s made by a high school student or a national treasure. Plus, all the profits of this sale are set to be donated to Studio A and We Are Studios, art companies that support artists with disabilities.
This year, 15,000 artworks will be on sale, and they'll sell on a first come, first served basis in person at 410 Oxford Street, Paddington. Doors will open from 10am to 8pm on Monday July 8, from 10am to 2pm Tuesday through Thursday, then 10am to 7pm on Friday, July 12 – with a limit of three artworks per buyer. All works that don’t get sold from the pop-up gallery will be available to buy online from 6pm on July 18, and there’s no limit to the amount of works you can buy via the online sale.
So, if you’re looking for a little adrenaline buzz, a little mystery, and a cheap, beautiful and wholesome addition to your life, think about weaving this into your weekend plans. You could walk home with a Van Gogh (just don’t quote us on that).