If you’re into art, it’s easy to feel that Frieze takes over London come October. There are Cory Arcangel poster works in tube lifts, continuous parties with free booze everywhere and dancers inserted into every artistic corner alongside the copious amounts of art. To help to navigate your way through, below are ten highlights that make it worth getting out there.
This performance at Frieze Live was incredible. They invited people to eat soup made from vegetables grown in the area around Fukushima. The piece intended to bring attention to the failure of Japan to clean up the ongoing post-nuclear mess that is being swept under the table.
United Brothers invited people to eat soup made from vegetables grown in the area around FukushimaCourtesy the gallery
A lively addition to Frieze week. He took over the Carlos Ishikawa booth at Frieze with a nail bar and acres of his burning denim print and paintings, and his sell out film and performance event with Boychild at the ICA Off Site at Old Selfridges Hotel is guaranteed to be awesome.
Korakrit Arunanondchai’s his sell out film and performance event with Boychild is guaranteed to be awesomePhotography by Boychild
The genius Mike Smith transformed Dan Gunn’s booth at Frieze into a pop-up nuclear fall out installation. This included free shots served by the artist at the bar and an arcade game that was intentionally embedded with failure.
Mike Smith delivered free shots and an arcade game intentionally embedded with failureCourtesy the gallery
CHRISTOPH BUCHEL
Buchel’s “Sleeping Guard” at the Hauser & Wirth stand (a wunderkamer exhibition curated by artist Mark Wallinger) was hands down the best thing at Frieze. First you wondered if he was alive. Then if he was just bad at his job. Then he was treated as an object. A delightful interruption to fair consumption.
Chrisoph Buchel’s “Sleeping Guard”, first you wondered if he was alive and then if he was just bad at his job..Courtesy the gallery
The Sunday Art Fair had an extra DIY vibe this year but Seventeen Gallery’s booth was stand out – a black shed containing an incredible film by the artist Sophie Michael. Intimate, beautiful, painterly, colourful, abstract brilliance.
The festival had an extra DIY vibe this year but Sophie Michael was a stand outCourtesy the gallery
THE COLLECTOR
Frieze Masters was worth visiting just for this booth. Helly Nahmad created an entire chaotic fantasy 1968 apartment for a fictional collector to house works by Magritte, Dubuffet and Fontana. This is probably the best booth you will ever see at an art fair in your life.
The Collector Booth created a 1968 fantasy apartment for a fictional collector to house works by Magritte, Dubuffet and FontanaCourtesy the gallery
MATTHEW BARNEY
There are tons of blockbuster shows on during Frieze but Matthew Barney’s at Sadie Coles was a serious WOW! The Kingly Street space was filled with weird semi-industrial, semi-organic zinc sculptures and amazing etched drawings on metal that can only be deciphered in life.
Matthew Barney’s at Sadie Coles was a serious WOW!Courtesy the gallery
This Istanbul stalwart has just opened a London base on Charing Cross Road. It’s launch party was one of the most fun nights all week, with neverending wine and excited metallers stumbling in from the Crobar to look at work by Banu Cennetoglu and Tamara Henderson.
Stumble down Denmark Street to see work by Banu Cennetoglu and Tamara HendersonCourtesy the artist and Rodeo, Istanbul/London
