The multi-sensory and new unfolded over four days in Regent鈥檚 Park during聽. Now in its 13th year, the fair has evolved with its expansion, integrating innovation as it progresses with its prizes, programming, and projects. As one of the world鈥檚 leading contemporary art fairs, everything is, or is hoping to be, a highlight of the market. It鈥檚 difficult not to be blinded by the beauty of the art and even those looking at it, but amid the noise of the Frieze experience there are聽always noteworthy works to be found.
Heavy-hitter brought out their key players in a strong collective showing: Tracey Emin鈥檚 pink neon, You Made Me Feel Beautiful Again! glowed outside the stand, while the massive painting Holbein (Artist鈥檚 Watercolours) by fellow YBA Damien Hirst held predominance inside as it also reflected in Liu Wei鈥檚 mirrored sculpture, Puzzle. Wei鈥檚 aluminium alloy and glass sculpture was impactful in its own right, but the way in which the centrally placed piece encompassed both visitors and the art around it from all angles further enhanced the gallery鈥檚 presentation. cleverly created their exhibition based on the concept of a field showcasing 42 sculptures on plinths that allowed visitors to wander within and around to observe works by the likes of Martin Creed, Isa Genzken, Jason Rhoades, and Phyllida Barlow.
The stand featured the popular fair favourite My First Dream by Gary Webb. A perfect palm tree consisting of reflective pastel surfaces, the piece gave the feeling of looking at the fair through candy-coated glasses. If there were tropical vibes to be had, perhaps it would have been worth catching the breeze from the fan of Hilary Lloyd鈥檚 Stream of Circles.
Immersed in the overload of art packed into the fair, offered an aesthetically pleasing oasis. Scott Lyall’s two works Untitled (Magnitude) were at once subtle and striking, their soft palette contrasting with the 12 abstracted images of glossy rubbish bags by Eileen Quinlan. At , Tobias Kaspar’s untitled works on neoprene and reflective fabric offered a similar effect and encouraged a second glance.
The fresh edge of the Focus section of the fair didn鈥檛 disappoint either. Ed Fornieles鈥 cut-up cushion characters at provided the amusement while curiosity ensued with Samara Scott鈥檚 inlaid debris-filled liquid sculpture at . At Koppe Astner, the standout was Corin Sworn鈥檚 prints with dye, silk and cotton on board.
Performance art was present with Tunga鈥檚 siamese hair twins parading around the fair and with Ken Kagami鈥檚 live and 鈥榩ersonal鈥 portrait sessions.
There were also areas to take it all in or stop to take a break, such as in Rachel Rose鈥檚 scale model of the fair itself where visitors could crawl into it and listen to tracks playing through the speakers. Or, for those who wanted to fully re-charge, there was modern art collective 脜YR鈥檚 Chill Out Chambers that consisted of beds and complimentary phone chargers that explored the connection between comfort and productivity.
Then, last but not least was Mark Leckey鈥檚 gigantic Felix the Cat at the ,聽symbolically inflated with his overarching view of his fair surroundings.
Ashton Chandler Guyatt
Frieze London, 14 鈥 17 October, Regent鈥檚 Park, London, NW1 4NR.
For more information, visit .
Credits
1.聽Garry Webb,聽My First Dream, 2014. Courtesy of Galerie Mitterrand.
