Weekly global arts agenda: Sydney Festival 2010, London Art Fair, PhotoLA

Australia's biggest arts festival will take place in Sydney on January 9 marking the start of a month-long calendar of festivities showcasing local and international performances, art and culture. On the other side of the world, more than 100 galleries will be exhibiting contemporary works of art at the London Art Fair.

Sydney Festival 2010
January 9 - 30
Various locations in Sydney, Australia

January is a great time to be in Australia, summer is in full swing in the land down under and there are many events taking place under the guise of the Sydney Festival. The festival has been running since 1977 and aims to showcase local and international talent while at the same time celebrating Australian culture and the vibrant state of New South Wales. More than 500 artists in the fields of dance, theater, music, visual arts, and cross media platforms will be involved in the 2010 Sydney Festival. Many of the events will be free to the public.
http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2010/

London Art Fair
January 13 - 17
Business Design Centre in London, UK

The London Art Fair is hailed as the event that "launches the art world year in the UK." This long-standing event is in its 22nd year and will host more than 100 galleries in 2010. Organizers expect more than 22,000 visitors to attend the contemporary art fair - the largest Modern British and Contemporary art fair in the UK. Two curated sections will run alongside the main fair this year. Art Projects exposes 25 projects and new works from emerging artists and Photo50 showcases contemporary photography.
http://www.londonartfair.co.uk/

Monumenta 2010: Christian Boltanski
January 13 - February 21
Grand Palais in Paris, France

For the third year running, MONUMENTA will invite an influential artist to install their works in the huge 13,500 m square area of the Grand Palais. This year France's own Christian Boltanski will create a large-scale installation in the building reflecting on the "inescapability of death" and the impact chance can have on each and every one of us.
http://www.monumenta.com/2010/english/frontpage.html

Photo Los Angeles
January 14 - 17
Santa Monica Civic in Santa Monica, USA

The 19th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exhibition will take place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California in January. Famed photographer David LaChapelle and actor Chris Lowell will host the opening night reception. The event will include multiple lectures and discussions about international photography whilst photographic experts will run additional lectures and seminars. A preview installation of the upcoming exhibition, Changing the Focus: Latin American Photography (1990 - 2005) that will be held in LA's Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) will be shown at the event along with a long list of iconic photos taken by American and international photographers.
http://www.photola.com/

Art Palm Beach
January 15 - 19
Palm Beach County Convention Center, Palm Beach, USA

More than 50 international and local galleries will showcase modern and contemporary artworks at the 13th edition of Art Palm Beach. Recent works from 1,500 artists will join a special outdoors "Living with Sculpture" exhibition that features sculptural works from 30 major international artists. In 2010, Art Palm Beach organizers will donate all admission proceeds to a different local cultural organization each day during the fair as part of their "artpalmbeach shares" program.
http://www.artpalmbeach.com/

FADA Los Angeles Art Show
January 20 - 24
Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, USA

The Fine Art Dealers Association's Los Angeles Art Show is in its 15th year. In 2009 35,000 visitors attended the show and organizers expect this year's event to be even bigger. More than 130 international galleries will feature an array of contemporary, modern and historical art. Visitors can also enhance their visit to the show by attending a special program of lectures, mixer events and other specially organized events including the IFPDA Print Fair. There will be a sculpture garden, special exhibit spaces and a dedicated area for works by Californian art school graduates.
http://www.laartshow.com/

Asian Art Prize
January 27
Four Seasons Hong Kong, Central

The sixth annual Asian Art Prize - the region's most prestigious - will be announced at a dinner and gala auction. The first prize comes with a cheque for US$25,000 and the winner will be drawn from a field of 30, selected by a team of Asia's top art critics and most respected gallery curators The public can also vote for their favorite piece by logging on to event organisers the Sovereign Art Foundation's website.
http://www.sovereignartfoundation.com

ARCO Madrid 2010
February 17 -21
Feria de Madrid in Madrid, Spain

The 29th edition of the Spanish-based arts festival aims to provide a truly global perspective on modern art and emerging creative expression. ARCO welcomed more than 190,000 people through its doors in 2009, and in 2010 it aims to feature the best and most cutting-edge contemporary art. There will be a strong representation of galleries hailing from Los Angeles in 2010 as the US-based city will be ARCO's "special invited guest."
http://www.ifema.es/ferias/arco/default_i.html