Frieze New York is back for the second year. Here is why you must take the ferry and get there!
This is the last act in the city’s Spring art fair season and after a smashing debut last year the organizers of Frieze New York are back on Randall’s Island looking to replicate and even surpass the success of the inaugural fair. The location is being kept the same, albeit many New Yorkers, this one included, are still curious/puzzled by the choice. The reception from the galleries remains equally split. Many are eager to associate with a prestigious brand name – Frieze, London is a big deal in the art circles and many blue chip galleries participate in the fair that takes place in mid October – thus are willing to give the big white tent on a remote, not easy to get-to-island a chance. Others subscribe to the notion that if a collector is eager to acquire that one piece they will make the trip to the depth of a Chilean mine, if necessary, or send an assistant to get it for them. Either way no Bentleys or Aston Martins will be pulling up to this art fair – art enthusiast and collectors will be ferrying their way to Randall’s Island this coming weekend! And you should too! This is why.
galleryIntell editors have combed through the 180 or so galleries participating this year, 20 or so more than last year, and these are our recommendations on the most interesting galleries to see.
Here they are, in no particular hierarchical order:
Janaina Tschäpe. Flower, 2008 . Galerie Catherine Bastille at Frieze New York art fair
Galerie Catherine Bastide, Brussels represents contemporary artists. We are looking forward to seeing whether the gallery will be showing any of Janaina Tschäpe recent Eclipse photographs or her works from the Drawings and Paintings series.
Stand C 26. Image courtesy: Galerie Catherine Bastide. Artwork ©Janaina Tschäpe
Milan based Massimo De Carlo represents many blue chip artists like Sol LeWitt, Maurizio Cattelan and George Condo. The ones we are looking forward to are: Paola Pivi, Roland Flexner, Josh Smith, John Armleder and Piotr Uklański. Stand D17
Chris Brodahl. Big Cloud. Marc Foxx Gallery at Frieze New York
Marc Foxx Gallery, Los Angeles. The one artist from the gallery’s roster that caught our attention was Chris Brodahl. Not a subject matter many would find themselves comfortable with, but somehow Brodahl managed to present a human skull, fragmented and fractured, in a fluid and soft, almost textile form.
Stand C34. Image courtesy: Marc Foxx Gallery. Artwork ©Chris Brodahl
Galerie Mehdi Choukari, Berlin. The artworks that this gallery will be exhibiting at Frieze recall works like Kandinsky’s circular color studies in Sylvie Fleury‘s works to even perhaps, Dan Flavin in Gerold Miller‘s sculpture. Overall, the gallery seems to be bringing an eclectic mix of artworks to Frieze that can be viewed in advance here.
Stand A24
Ai Weiwei. Very Yao. Galleria Continua at Frieze New York art fair
Galleria Continua: This gallery has three locations that span across Italy, China & France. The roster of artists likewise spans continents, ranging from the London-based Anish Kapoor to the critically acclaimed Beijing-based artist Ai Weiwei. We are very excited to see works by Nedko Solakov and Carlos Garaicoa. Carlos’ photographs combine vibrant colors and jagged imagery that is appealing in a raw, rustic way. We are going to keep an eye out to see if Ai Weiwei’s Very Yao – a 2008 installation made up of a tower of bikes – makes it to Frieze.
Stand C42. Image courtesy: Galleria Continua. Artwork ©Ai Weiwei
It’s here that we put a disclaimer and say that galleries may change their exhibition choices at any time before or during the fair, so we can not guarantee that what we recommend will actually be on display, but if you’re absolutely in love with the piece, it wouldn’t hurt to come and ask them whether they still have the artwork or have something similar to show you. Hey, you never know!
In addition to the straight-forward art fair itinerary the visitors can partake of these integrated events: Frieze Projects, Frieze Sounds, Frieze Talks, the Sculpture Park, Stand Prize and a new addition to the fair, the Frieze New York Education space.
So Frieze is staying on Randall’s Island (for now), until it too, moves to some fabulous cavernous space and something is telling us it may just be in Brooklyn – that sweetheart of urban re-invention and hipster creativity.
Frieze New York is being held at Randall’s Island, Manhattan 10–13 May. Visit the website here.
Artworks courtesy of the galleries. This article © galleryIntell.
