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0 This year, Frieze returns to Regent’s Park in London, gathering more than 280 galleries from 42 countries in a kaleidoscopic collection of classical and contemporary art. Amid economic turmoil on U.K. soil, geopolitical uncertainty across the continent, and mourning for a monarch who represented stability and British identity for many, the bustling booths at Frieze offer escapism and hope—sites for collectors and visitors to find inspiration during tumultuous times.
Presenting a mix of established and emerging artists, this year’s booths have taken striking liberties to distinguish themselves from the fair’s uniform layout: Take Lisson Gallery’s immersive solo presentation by Laure Prouvost at Frieze London, which envelops viewers within three freestanding paintings that feature challenging protest language around climate change and societal inequality. Prouvost’s enormous tapestry I wish you could see my face (2020) confronts viewers with jarring statements that reflect the need for empathy, such as: “I am sorry this room is not so nice I did ask for it to be changed.”
At Frieze Masters, Pace Gallery’s installation of Mary Corse’s The Cold Room (1968/2022), the second iteration of its kind, invites viewers into a multisensory enclosure in which a spectrum of white light is endlessly refracted, allowing each visitor to experience a different, kaleidoscopic pattern of light. At other booths, panel dividers create corners of intrigue; as visitors view works nestled at the heart of each booth, they enjoy a sense of intimacy within the teeming fair.
Eva Langret, artistic director of Frieze London, described the energy of the opening day as “palpable.” She emphasized the number of “carefully curated presentations with links to the wider institutional landscape in the U.K. and beyond.” She is especially excited about Thomas Dane Gallery’s booth, which is organized entirely by artist Anthea Hamilton and features some of her works, and for Timothy Taylor’s booth, which presents a solo exhibition of Sahara Longe’s oil-on-linen paintings. These monumental canvases depict life-size figures standing in varying proximity to one another—much like the visitors at Frieze—and ask the viewer to decipher the characters’ relationships and stories, based on their body language.
Read on to discover the must-see booths at Frieze London and Frieze Masters this week.
Arguably the busiest booth during Frieze London’s preview day was Gagosian’s immersive solo exhibition of work by British artist Jadé Fadojutimi, which sold out before the end of the fair’s VIP opening. Seven large paintings featured electric celebrations of color and graphic abstraction. Complex textures of acrylic, oil paint, and oil pastel created layered allusions to the celestial and natural worlds.
Millicent Wilner, senior director of Gagosian in London, described prominent interest in Fadojutimi’s work—created specifically for Frieze London—from collectors and institutions around the world. “The cycle of paintings she is presenting at Frieze is exceptionally ambitious and beautiful,” she said. “Together with her current solo exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield, this provides a wonderful opportunity to experience how her practice continues to innovate and evolve.”
