I had initially planned on being at sea until mid-October, so it was a pleasant surprise that Ellie was able to get me a press pass for Frieze London on short notice (she got one, too, but due to work commitments will only be visiting this weekend). For many years, we have hardly ever missed a visit. Depending on how you count, Frieze London is ranking somewhere between #3 and #6 of the world’s most prominent art fairs. The only two events that always rank higher are the Venice Biennale and Art Basel.
NOT THE BEST OF TIME FOR ARTS
Like most other commentators, Ellie and I have noticed a decline in the wow-factor and artistic value of the exhibited works in recent years. There are many reasons for this. Maybe most of all, art itself got a little bit more boring. Ten, fifteen years ago, there were still many occasions when I stood in front of a piece of art, totally thrilled. I was looking at something that I hadn’t seen before. Ever. Now I often spend a fair bit of time on figuring out where I had seen at least major aspects of an approach before.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
In terms of money, the artworld has taken a dip. I hear that on the lower (£25,000+) and mid-level (£100,000 to 1,000,000), the shekels are still sitting pretty loose in the pockets of the one-percenters, but towards the top-end (£1,000,000+) the steady stream of easy money seems to have dried up. Brexit did not help the UK, because in terms of customs and tax, things turned more tedious for collectors. Unsurprisingly, the more than 160 galleries who have paid between £35,000 and £100,000 for their exhibition space, not including the cost of the actual stalls, the insurance, the staff, and the other running costs, are playing it safe. They are not willing to experiment, they go for artworks that they know they can shift.
NOT TO WORRY, STILL PLENTY OF GAPING VAGINAS
So was it all a big disappointment? I wouldn’t say so at all. Frieze London is still good fun. For example, if you are looking for gaping vaginas, you will at first be displeased that there are only 98 of them, as opposed to 156 last year. But that’s still a hole (excuse the pun) 98 beavers, so it’s not like we are on a pussy drought. Chicks with dicks: 26 last year, 14 this year. Admittedly not great, but you’re covered. Perhaps, most reassuringly, you can watch a video inside a sauna cubicle of a sexual pervert moving around in an animal costume while drinking the pink sweat of others. And you were worried it’s the end of the world. We are all good. Thank god.
KEEPING THE GRAMMERS HAPPY
For the mindless instagrammers, there are Benedikte Bjerre’s inflated penguins, which move backwards and forwards like pendulums with every turbulence in the air that surrounds them.
EASIER FOR NEWCOMERS
What I really loved is that – different from all previous years – you have to walk to the far end of the gigantic tent in order to see the most prestigious art galleries. For those, who’ve never visited Frieze London: it is hard work to make it all the way to the far end, with thousands of exhibits to scrutinise before you get there. It is a funny thought that some wealthy buyers can’t be bothered and end up with some up-and-coming artist’s work instead of the masterpiece they had initially hoped to buy.
MY PERSONAL FAVOURITES
My personal favourites were Mona Hatoum’s ‘Untitled (pressure)’ (2023) at the White Cube, Hank Willis Thomas’s ‘Noir et Rouge’ (2024) at PACE, Jim Lambie’s ‘Double Love’ (2024), Jesse Wine’s ‘G.T.’ (2022), both at The Modern Institute, and Manuel Solano’s ‘If You Need My Attention 1’ (2024), which I found aesthetically pleasing. I also liked Jasper Marsalis’s bowling ball sculptures at Emalin, because they are asking for trouble (with the sculptures lying openly, unprotected, on the ground, someone is bound to step onto them), and (ironically) Jose Davila’s ‘Untitled (Femme assise dans un fauteuil)’ (2024) at Sean Kelly, because it looks like a painting that Picasso could have made, if he had had no talent.
SOME OTHER GALLERIES WORTH NOTING
There were some galleries, which might not have included any of my favourites, but which I adored for their overall vibe, such as David Zwirner, who had interesting art by Jordan Wolfson, Barbara Kruger, Rose Wylie, and Yayoi Kusama. Or Galerie Max Hetzler, with pieces by Grace Weaver and others. Galerie Nordenhake had a few phenomenal works by Sarah Crowner, Elena Damiani, Ayan Farah, and Lap-See Lam. P420 impressed with works of June Crespo, Monika Stricker, Merlin James, and Victor Fotso Nyie.
Will I be back next year? Definitely. Frieze London is not cheap, it’s gone downhill a little bit, but it’s still a lot of fun.
For more art and culture, past & present, check out my posts about Frieze Sculpture 2024, Frieze London 2022, the Frameless immersive art experience, JR Chronicles at the Saatchi Gallery, Ryoji Ikeda at 180 The Strand, the plays The Other Place, White Rabbit Red Rabbit, or Simon Godwin’s Macbeth with Ralph Fiennes & Indira Varma at Dock X. Equally, feel welcome to catch up on my recent participation in the Northwest Passage Expedition.
