Facing up to the competition from Paris, Frieze London is doing what it does best: championing the new in contemporary art by giving its layout a major shake-up. Where the Focus section for emerging talent was once a mere afterthought, it can now be found tucked just inside the main entrance. Meanwhile, the mega-galleries have been sequestered to a capacious section at the very back, where they are joined by some midsize international names.
The redesign has been the subject on everyone’s lips. As one museum professional put it, “You have to look at all the cheap paintings before you get to see the expensive ones.”
On the record, galleries echoed this sentiment with a little more delicacy. “As younger galleries, we are the ones that need more visibility,” said Oswaldo Nicoletti, founder of Nicoletti, showing in Focus. “We can really feel [the difference] already in terms of potential collectors.”
This year’s map may look a little different, but some things never change. A noticeable presence throughout the fair were artists who have recently enjoyed the global spotlight at the Venice Biennale.
Other artists from the Biennale’s main exhibition include Pacita Abad at Tina Kim Gallery, Dean Sameshima at Soft Opening, and Kim Yun Shin with works priced at around £100,000 ($130,000) at Lehmann Maupin at Frieze Masters.
—Jo Lawson-Tancred
