Frieze Week 2018: What to see and trends to follow
October is the moment when London becomes the centre of the art world. Here, eight leading figures with projects ranging from African art to video installations give their advice on the hippest shows and hottest new trends
What will the galleries at Frieze Masters be offering? ‘Expertly
vetted artwork spanning six millennia, from Cycladic idols
and paintings by Artemisia Gentileschi to works by Delvaux,
Derain, Picasso and Man Ray.’
Have you noticed any trends developing? ‘Exhibitor
Jorge Coll of
Colnaghi mentioned to me that he sold to a Chinese collector
who buys 20th-century art. “We didn’t know him,” he said, “and he probably hadn’t heard of us, but great art transcends
time and Frieze Masters let’s that happen”.’
Do you have any favourite pieces at the fair? ‘Samurai
armour at
Jean Christophe Chabonnier; Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture
garden on
Dickinson’s stand; and Ancient Chinese bronze temple
bells at
Gisèle Croës.’
Giovanni Bellini, The Virgin and Child, circa 1475. Oil on poplar. 76 x 54.2 cm. Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldagalerie / Photo: Christoph Schmidt
Feather god image (akua hulu manu), late 18th century, Hawaiian Islands. Fibre, feathers, human hair, pearl shell, seed, dog teeth. 62 x 30 cm. Photo: © The Trustees of the British Museum
What else are you looking forward to? ‘Mantegna and Bellini at the National Gallery;
Oceania at the Royal Academy; and
Ribera at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.’
Which works have caught your attention at 1-54? ‘There's
a lot of good work. I'm excited to see: Hassan Hajjaj, Yinka
Shonibare, Derrick Adams, Lebohang Kganye, Zina Saro-Wiwa,
Uche Okpa-Iroha.’
Hassan Hajjaj, Hindi Kahlo, 2011. Courtesy the artist and Vigo Gallery
Have you noticed any trends developing? ‘South
Africa continues to be a locus for new work. Two shows in
London give you a taste of new work from there — Kemang Wa
Lehulere at
Marian Goodman and
Athi-Patra Ruga at Somerset House.’
Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Earshot, 2016. Installation view, Earshot, Portikus, Frankfurt am Main. Commissioned by Portikus, Frankfurt am Main.
What else are you looking forward to? ‘The
New Museum's collaboration with
The Store; Martine Syms at
Sadie Coles; Lawrence Abu Hamdan at
Chisenhale Gallery; and the
Turner Prize is a must-see.’
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Alexandra Fain
Director and co-founder, Asia Now, Paris
How would you define Asia Now? ‘It is the
first art fair in Europe dedicated to contemporary Asian
art.’
What are you looking forward to at Frieze? ‘Japanese
galleries
Taka Ishii Gallery,
Taro Nasu and
Misako & Rosen, and Korean galleries Gallery Hyundai and
Kukje Gallery. I’ll make a beeline for
Magician Space,
Edouard Malingue,
Pace Gallery’s Lee Ufan exhibit and photographer Ishiuchi
Miyako’s work at
Michael Hoppen Gallery.’
Kim KototamaLune, Le Silance du Nom, 2018. Kiln-fired glass. 160 x 105 cm. Courtesy of the artist and of Galerie DA-END
June Lee, Weight of Human (No. 4), 2017.Thread on resin cast and clay. 58 x 22 x 20.3 cm. Courtesy of the artist and of ARTVERA’S
Have you noticed any trends developing? ‘Many
new collectors are not looking to purchase “trophy” works
by established artists. Instead they’re curious and are choosing
to invest in the works of emerging artists.‘
What else are you looking forward to? ‘Yayoi
Kusama at
Victoria Miro and Taro Izumi at
White Rainbow; the new Japan House and
Pierre Huyghe at the Serpentine Galleries.’
How did the exhibition
Strange Days: Memories of the Future at The Store/The Vinyl Factory come about? ‘We
co-commissioned a work by Kahlil Joseph with them last year.
It was so fruitful, they asked us to collaborate again on
this show of video works from the New Museum.’
Are more people being drawn to collect video art? ‘The
exhibition speaks of the radical transformation in how we
use and view images. The screen has become the locus of imagination.’
© John Akomfrah. Still taken from Mimesis: African Soldier by John Akomfrah, co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW, New Art Exchange, Nottingham and Smoking Dogs Films, with additional support from Sharjah Art Foundation
What else are you looking forward to? ‘John
Akomfrah’s
Mimesis: African Soldier at the Imperial War
Museum, which he was working on when we had an exhibition
with him in New York. I’m also looking forward to
Pierre Huyghe at the Serpentine.’
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Guy Jennings
Managing Director, The Fine Art Group
What is the impact of Frieze on London’s art scene? ‘There’s
no better demonstration of the continuing vibrancy, and relevance,
of art in London.’
What are you particularly looking forward to seeing? ‘At
The Fine Art Group, we spend lots of time at both fairs.
Dickinson always put together an interesting stand. I’m
looking forward to their Hepworth presentation.’
Barbara Hepworth, River Form (BH 568), conceived in 1965 and cast in 1973 in an edition of 3 + Artist’s proof (this cast 3/3) signed and numbered on the base Barbara Hepworth 3/3 bronze. 89 x 187 x 77 cm. Private Collection, courtesy Simon C. Dickinson, Ltd.
Have you noticed any trends developing? ‘Increasingly,
I’m observing collectors moving away from one category, and
instead collecting the best works in many areas.’
What else are you looking forward to? ‘Anyone
enthusiastic about Impressionists should visit the
Courtauld Impressionists at the National Gallery.’
What is behind the selection of works at Frieze Sculpture? ‘It
has become a sounding board of contemporary outdoor sculpture
making from around the world. This year we have great sculptures
by women, including Rana Begum, Kiki Smith, Tracey Emin and
Kathleen Ryan.’
Tim Etchells, Everything is Lost, 2018. VITRINE. Frieze Sculpture 2018. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze
Is there sculpture in the Frieze fairs you are looking forward to seeing? ‘John
Baldessari at
Marian Goodman and Hardeep Pandhal at
Jhaveri Contemporary from Mumbai. At Frieze Masters, Dickinson’s installation of Barbara Hepworth and sculpture
from the Arctic Circle from Galerie Meyer Oceanic Art.’
What else are you looking forward to? ‘Heidi
Bucher exhibition at
Parasol unit; Rana Begum at
Kate MacGarry; Elmgreen & Dragset at the
Whitechapel Gallery and
Pierre Huyghe at the Serpentine.’
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Patrick Perrin
CEO of PAD
What are excited about seeing at
PAD London? ‘PAD brings
together 68 leading galleries showcasing masterpieces across
design, art, antiquities, tribal art and collectible jewellery.
I’m looking forward to seeing some of the new galleries —
Achille Salvagni,
Hélène Bailly and
Karen Swami, as well as a fine selection of international jewellery
galleries.’
Achille Salvagni, Bubbles Wall Sconce B, 2018. Limited Edition of 20 pieces + AP. 24ct gold-plated bronze and backlit onyx wall sconce. Weight: 30Kg. Light source: 4 x bi-pin LED 1,5watt bulbs. Height: 19” (48cm) - Width: 12“ (30cm) - Depth: 9” (23cm). Courtesy of Achille Salvagni
What new trends have you detected? ‘This
year we have a focus on jewellery with four new exhibitors
and also a strong trend in sculptural design and collectible
crafts.’
What else are you looking forward to? ‘Our
Mayfair-based exhibitors have enticing shows:
FUMI’s 10-year anniversary show Now and Then and Achille Salvagni’s Sahara.
Carpenters Workshop Gallery has a solo show by Vıncenzo
De Cotiis and at
Repetto, an incredible Carlo Scarpa exhibition.’
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Jo Stella-Sawicka
Artistic director, Frieze
What prompted the Social Work section at Frieze this year? ‘In
follow-up to last year’s
Sex Work project,
Social Work convened a group of art historians, curators
and writers. The outcome is a group of stands featuring women
artists making important work in the 1980s and 1990s. Two
further factors coincided with the project — the anniversary
of female suffrage and the
Freelands Foundation report on the declining visibility
of women in the arts.’
Berni Searle, Still, 2001. Digital prints on backlit paper, 8 images. 120 x 120cm each. Edition 3 + 1 AP © Berni Searle. Courtesy: of Stevenson, Cape Town and Johannesburg
And what about new trends? ‘Many
galleries have exhibitions of women artists, for instance,
kamel mennour is back with a fourth consecutive solo
show by a woman artist. The commercial sector is more mindful
of this issue, partly because there are opportunities with
women artists to build markets and careers.’
What else are you looking forward to? ‘The
ICA is hosting
Chelsea Manning, the intelligence analyst and activist.
Gallery exhibitions are extraordinary this year —
Doris Salcedo and
Julie Mehretu at White Cube alone pitch the level high.’