Frieze London kicked off on Wednesday with a VIP welcome and is open to the public starting today. The 21st edition of one of the world's most anticipated art events reunites over 160 galleries hailing from 43 different countries in the English capital. Capturing the ever-evolving experimentation of established and rising international talents, the British fair offers visitors a unique opportunity to confront themselves with the techniques and preoccupations that define the essence of the contemporary creative scene.
Along with the best design exhibitions in London this October and PAD London's triumph of oddly imaginative décor, Frieze London — coinciding with the historical art sibling fair Frieze Masters — infuses the city with transportive cultural ferment by housing the whole world's creative genius within his Regent's Park tents.
When we visited the fair yesterday, we weren't simply interested in spotting the most extraordinarily crafted, evocative installations, but wanted to identify those artworks that, whether because of their functionality, the feel they released, or mysterious ambiguity, blurred the lines between art, homeware, and design.
Scroll to see the best of Frieze London, or ten masterpieces we'd happily style in our modern homes.
LEE SHINJA'S "WOODS" (1971)
At Frieze London, pioneering Korean fiber artist Lee ShinJa, platformed by New York's Tina Kim Gallery, presented a stunning two-piece, embroidered wooden panel quite fittingly called Woods. Close to turning 100 (ShinJa is 94), the creative, credited with elevating what used to be regarded as a domestic activity to a widely esteemed creative practice in her native country, continues to amaze. In a contemporary art fair like Frieze London, where art professionals and amateurs come to get exclusive insights into the scene's newest trends, this meticulously woven piece celebrates the charm of long-standing artisanal traditions, demonstrating that great things can stand the test of time. Personally, I would see it in a sun-filled modern rustic décor home, where it would make a floral room divider, or as a precious way of marking the separation between a courtyard and the indoors.
