Amie Siegel, still from ‘Double Negative,’ 2015. Courtesy of the artist and Simon Preston Gallery, New York.

October 14, 2015
Art

By: Hannah Cross

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2015 FRIEZE ART FAIR

As collectors from all over the world descend on London for the art world’s equivalent of Fashion Week, curators, artists, and critics are questioning the status of London as a hub for innovative creative practice as costs of living and production continue to rise in England’s capital.

However, following a successful re-design last year, director Victoria Siddall has high hopes for this year’s fair, as established and emerging galleries return to present new work by artists at various stages in their career. Frieze Masters continues to draw a crowd, although critics note that post-war and more recent works are in the most demand.

Great effort has been made to make Frieze more than a commercial enterprise as talks, artist intervention projects, and space for grassroots and public organizations has been incorporated into the broader brand and messaging of the fair.

Gregor Muir, director of ICA London, has programmed this year’s Frieze Talks with Christy Lange, associate editor at Frieze, bringing a rebellious, punk flavor to this year’s talks. Cuban artist and activist Tania Bruguera talks art and ethics; Viv Albertine, founding member of the Slits, talks about her life and work with Muir; and Vivienne Westwood will present the keynote lecture, reflecting on her relationship with art and how it relates to her social activism. Also included is a panel discussion dissecting the pertinent issue of affordable space for artists.

Shimon Minamikawa, ‘Condition Check 12,’ 2015. Courtesy of the artist and Misako & Rosen, Tokyo.

Focus remains the section within the Fair for those seeking new and emerging artists. Highlights include galleries such as Misako & Rosen, Tokyo, presenting Japanese artists Shimon Minamikawa, Kaoru Arima, and Kazuyuki Takezaki; Limoncello, London, featuring rising star Jesse Wine; Sunday Painter, London, presenting Leo Fitzmaurice and Samara Scott; and Simon Preston Gallery’s presentation of work by Amie Siegal.

As always, the fascination and the possibilities are the real attraction of this fair, an opportunity to see never-before-shown work by artists you may or may not know or works by masters which may never have been visible to the public before.

The fair also galvanizes the entire city, with special receptions, private views, exhibition tours, and parties in abundance as galleries and museums compete for the attention of international patrons and audiences. It’s overwhelmingly huge and takes over an entire week of your life, but you just wouldn’t want to miss it.

The Frieze Art Fair runs through Saturday. For more information, please visit Frieze.com.

By: Hannah Cross

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