The Five Best Things to See at Melbourne Art Fair When You Can’t Afford to Buy

The Melbourne Art Fair is setting up shop this year at the grand Royal Exhibition Centre in Carlton, and from August 14-17 it will be home to more than 300 artists' work, presented by leading Australian and Asia-Pacific galleries.

Contemporary art lovers have the chance to view, interact with and purchase work from both Australian and international artists, and trust us, there's plenty to get through. While much of the artwork is for sale, you don’t need a fat chequebook to check out the best artistic offerings. Here’s our pick of what you should feast your eyes on during this year's fair.

Pop-Up Restaurant Angry Penguin

Speaking of firsts for MAF, food and art will delightfully collide with a pop-up restaurant opening during the festival, located in the exclusive Collectors Lounge. The Angry Penguin is a collaborative effort between The European chef Ian Curley and Bay Leaf Catering’s head chef Derek Boath. The name is in reference to the Australian modernist and literary artist movement in the 1940s, and the angry young men who were determined to shake up the establishment, including Arthur Boyd, Albert Tucker, Sydney Nolan and Joy Hester. If only we could have a rowdy dinner conversation with that lot! Fairgoers who like a little nosh with their cultural activities are encouraged to pre-book online, as tables will be limited.

The Supermarket Made Entirely of Salt

Ken and Julia Yonetani’s large-scale art installation is a full-sized recreation of a supermarket of items made entirely of white salt. The piece is a nod to increasing issues with salinity in Australia’s farmlands and is called The Last Suppermarket. Every item stocked on the supermarket’s shelves is for sale; price is determined by weight, and you’re welcome to take anything from a single ‘banana’ to a whole fruit bowl. In theory this sounds like a logistical nightmare, but in reality we can’t wait to see it for ourselves.

Tram Takeovers

Commuters are in for a few pleasant surprises, with pop-up performances coming to a tram near you all throughout Melbourne Art Week, which MAF is a part of, from August 11-17. Expect flash musical and comedic performances as part of the public program, with more details yet to be revealed as to which tram lines you need to redirect yourselves to sharpish. We’re interested to see how the artists will pry the passengers’ attention away from their iPhones, but we welcome anything that makes the daily commute a little more colourful. Other gems on the public program include Art After Hours and an installation at Aesop for those less interested poking around the Royal Exhibition Centre.

The Alien Pope

Yes, that's right, alien pope. Artist Luke Roberts will appear as his alter ego 'Pope Alice' to perform at the fair. A lover of costume and the subversive power of dress-ups, Roberts is also a practicing Raelian, believing we have been placed on earth by aliens. All of which makes his pope persona serious business. Roberts is part of a wide program of performance art taking place during Opening Night Vernissage, where more than 500 artists will be in attendance to get this fair off to a cracking start. We also recommend looking out for Anastasia Klose, whose surprise art work could prove lucrative for you.

A Fair Within a Fair

Jason Maling and Lara Thoms have spent a good deal of this year attending Expos and trade fairs, jumping from one industry or subculture to the next. For this year’s Melbourne Art Fair they are bringing their installation piece called Exposition, which is essentially a tongue-in-cheek fake mini trade fair that visitors can interact with. Stalls within the mini trade fair include a dog enthusiasts' stand, alternative healing and a tattoo artist. Exposition is part of MAF Edge, where for the first time in the fair’s history, contemporary performance art is included in the events.

The Melbourne Art Fair is on from August 13-17 at the Royal Exhibition Building and all around Melbourne. See the event website for more information.