LONDON.- The inaugural edition of Art13 London, which ran from 1 to 3 March attracted 24,735 visitors, including 6,000 guests at the preview. Taking place in the stunning setting of Olympia's Grand Hall, the Fair welcomed collectors and buyers from London, Europe and beyond who discovered artists and gallerists from around the world.

Art13 London presented 129 galleries from 30 countries, 70% of which were showing at an art fair in London for the first time. Gallerists reported sales taking place across the board from emerging artists through to outstanding works commanding six-figure sums.

Artists including Zhu Jinshi, Judit Reigl, Sheba Chhachhi, John Latham, Kim In Sook, Stephen Balkenhol, Liang Quan, Gianpietro Carlesso, Lee Yongbaek, Banksy and Young-Jae Lee were successfully placed in collections by their gallerists at the Fair. Firm foundations have been laid for future editions of this truly global art fair.

PRIVATE MUSEUM SUMMIT
A highlight of Art13 London was the Private Museum Summit, an exclusive event designed to introduce private museum owners to each other and to develop dialogue and networks between them. Over 30 participants took place including Li Bing (China), Frank Cohen (UK), Dakis Joannou (Greece), Sylvain and Dominique Levy (France), Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo (Italy), Don and Mera Rubell (USA), Ramin Salsali (Dubai), Wang Wei (China) and Dai Zhikang (China).

A number of the Summit's attendees also took part in our public Talks Programme. 'The China Moment' broke new ground with three of China's most important collectors, Dai Zhikang, Li Bing and Wang Wei appearing in a panel discussion in the West for the first time. Our second collector's panel, 'The Global Rise of the Private Museum' featured Don and Mera Rubell, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Ramin Salsali.

The Fair was also welcomed collectors from across the globe who included Mimi Dusselier (Belgium), Lakshmi Mittal (India), Rupert Myer (Australia), Uli Sigg (Switzerland), Charles Saatchi (UK), Michael Wilson (USA), Anita Zabludowicz (UK) and Dasha Zhukova (Russia) amongst others.

Art13 London won the support of Britain's leading museums and institutions. The Fair was attended by directors, curators and acquisition committee members from institutions including Tate, British Museum, Royal Academy of Arts, ICA, Serpentine Gallery, Photographer's Gallery, Iniva and Baltic.

ART13 PUBLIC PROGRAMME
An additional cultural highlight of the Fair was the Public Programme, which received funding from Arts Council England. Twenty-two sculptural/ installation projects were placed throughout the Fair, with the remarkable 12 metre-long work 'Boat' (2012) by Chinese artist Zhu Jinshi at the heart of Olympia's Grand Hall.

Other installations included Roelof Louw's seminal work 'Soul City (Pyramid of Oranges)' which will shortly be featured at the V&A, London, and El Anatsui's magnificent 10-metre long work 'In the World But Don't Know The World' which hung above the main entrance into the Grand Hall.

Art13 Performances was a further highlight, offering a dedicated platform for the presentation and discussion of performance art. Programmed across the three public days of the Fair, and taking place on the hour, the dedicated booth showcased 17 performances by international artists, representing the range of contemporary performance art being produced today around the world.