Preview art from the fair from our selected artists and galleries from across Manchester, the UK. and Europe.
13th Edition: 17/18/19 November 2023 at Manchester Central

Collector Programme
The Manchester Contemporary Collector Programme is the only group of it's kind in the region and is open for anyone to join who has a keen interest in contemporary art and a growing private collection.

Pallet Show 12
Pallet Show 12 is a curatorial project consisting of a grid of wooden pallets, laid out on the floor of the Sculpture Court of The Manchester Contemporary art fair 2023 curated by Daniel Pryde-Jarman

About the fair
Now in its 14th year, The Manchester Contemporary returns to Manchester Central from 17–19 November 2023. The white booths are back beneath the former railway depot’s vaulted ceiling – an installation that engages with the way art is transported and displayed in their midst.
From a centrepiece made up of shipping pallets to two feature walls connecting the art fair to the 200th anniversary of Manchester Art Gallery’s collection, Curator of The Manchester Contemporary Nat Pitt is signalling an ongoing fascination with revealing the mechanics of the art world.
“In some ways the fair has always been about ‘keeping it real’,” he says. “Perhaps the Manchester or Northern attitude toward culture is about demystifying art through inclusivity and openness. Our sculpture court is one way we express this; this year we take a look at the global and local movement and logistics of art.”
News
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World-famous artists including David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Salvador Dali, Francis Bacon, and Grayson Perry. Provocative talks with artist and disability and arts rights activist, Tony Heaton OBE, and ...
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A centrepiece in transit, two feature walls and the largest ever Manchester Contemporary Art Fund are all part of an effort to make the workings of the art world more transparent.
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The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, one of the largest grassroots art funds in the UK, is inviting new members as Manchester Art Gallery celebrates 200 years of collecting. The campaign sees the le ...
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Manchester Art Fair, the UK’s most ambitious art fair, saw a massive 58% increase in visitors and 60% in art sales year on as the North’s art lovers flocked to Manchester Central in record-breaking nu ...
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Works are selected by Manchester Art Gallery curators and displayed by the gallery and then kept in their permanent collection, owned and enjoyed the people of Manchester in perpetuity.
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Two spectacles developed via collaborations with Manchester artists are the centrepiece of this year’s show, which sets the work of the city’s artists within an international context.
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The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, a trust created by a set of Greater Manchester businesspeople passionate about their city and its cultural heritage, has been recognised in two prestigious cultur ...




I am really impressed with how Manchester’s art scene has developed in recent years and The Manchester Contemporary has been integral to this. There is no shortage of potential art buyers in the region, and the fair is vital to inspire and develop a significant audience of collectors.
Frank Cohen Art Collector