Frieze London, England’s most important art fair, takes place between 11-15 October. As Frieze London celebrates its 20th anniversary, exhibitors and visitors talk about how the city’s art market has changed since the fair’s inception. Shaken by Brexit, the rising cost of galleries and competition between fairs, the outlook is less optimistic than in the early 2000s…
A number of galleries, including Thaddaeus Ropac and Pace, are exhibiting new works by major artists this year to celebrate the anniversary. However, galleries appear to be relying more than ever on the secondary market to stay afloat. Our deputy art economics editor, Kabir Jhala, prepared a detailed report on this subject.
Frieze CEO Simon Fox has his hands full right now; The organization also included the Armory Show in New York and Expo Chicago during the summer months. Fox tells Anny Shaw about the challenges of running multiple mega-fairs at once and why he thinks London’s art scene is still thriving.
As if to defy the difficult economic conditions, a number of galleries opened in London ahead of Frieze, with some of the existing ones expanding their capacity. We’ve looked at some of the most exciting examples, from Alison Jacques and Stephen Friedman’s latest flagship spaces to young gallery Ginny on Frederick’s new garage space.
And as is tradition, celebrities flocked to the Frieze 2023 VIP day… Among them were notable attendees such as Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield and powerhouse collectors Don and Mera Rubell.
Notable sales at the fair
Sophie von Hellermann, Dreamland (2023), Pilar Corrias, several works priced between £10,000 – £60,000, sold to a private collector interested in recreating the entire cabin, including walls and carpet, in their home.
Van Hanos, Der Rosarote Panther (2023) sold for $60,000 at Lisson Gallery. This work, which appears to be a fictional painting, actually depicts a real scene from the artist’s recent stay in Vienna. A passerby and a window display come together to create an everyday Surrealism.
El Anatsui’s work “Untitled I” was sold at the Goodman Gallery in 2023 for $1.9 million. The work, created from bottle caps, is reminiscent of the artist’s interesting works in the Tate Turbine Hall.
Tammy Nguyen, Casella (2023) sold for $100,000 at Lehmann Maupin gallery. A dazzling new painting inspired by Dante’s Inferno has been purchased by a major collector who sits on the board of the Tate.
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