The art world equivalent to fashion week, Frieze London brings together more than 160 art galleries within a gargantuan tent in Regents Park for four days of international contemporary art. Frieze London is complemented by Frieze Masters, where Rembrant and Boschhang hang alongside rare objets d’art, and the crème of the industry hobnob in the Ruinart tent. There are also a host of satellite art fairs and special events taking place across the capital in celebration of Frieze, including the prestigious PAD Art Fair in Berkeley Square.
Who to look out for at Frieze London 2019:
Sterling Ruby, Gagosian
Raf Simons’ favourite artist and collaborator, Sterling Ruby, has a solo booth at Frieze, presented by New York’s revered Gagosian. The display includes new paintings and a sculpture by the Los Angeles-based artist, who is best known for his multidisciplinary collage work inspired by Californa’s conceptual landscape. Ruby has also curated an online presentation pairing his own work with that of historical artists, that can be viewed in the gallery’s Online Viewing Room, including works by Helen Frankenthaler, Katsushika Hokusai and Mike Kelley.
Ryan Gander, TARO NASU Gallery
Ryan Gander, presented by Japan’s TARO NASU Gallery, reveals Time Well Spent, a matte black vending machine that, for a fee of £1,000, dispenses artwork at random. This is a continuation of Gander’s work with vending machines, previously displayed at Art Basel, and questions the futility of chance, as well as our perceptions of wealth. It is accompanied by a series of expressive ink paintings, inspired by If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler, the 1979 seminal novel by Italian writer Italo Calvino.
Rest is the Best Way of Revolution by Tang Dixin
Need a break during Frieze Week? Tang Dixin encourages you to ‘rest up’ as part of his ongoing performance project. Dressed in a surgical gown, the Chinese artist invites visitors to have parts of their body cast in plaster, which then forms part of his installation.
Frieze Masters, Regents Park
Frieze Masters showcases important works from ancient times through to the Renaissance and Modern masters, and paintings fetch in the region of millions. Scene-stealing art this year includes Portrait of Michele Marullo by Sandra Botticelli (presented by Trinity Fine Art, London and billed as the last Botticelli in private hands outside of Italy); a Helmet Head bronze sculpture by Henry Moore (Osborne Samuels Gallery, London) and rare ceramics by Pablo Picasso (Galerie Chenel, Paris). Pippy Houldsworth Gallery also presents a joyfully bright and provocative selection of erotic artwork by radical avant-garde artist Jacqueline de Jong.
Date: 3-6 October Time: Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm Price: £38.70 per adult ticket Location: Regents Park, Chester Rd, London NW1 4NR Closest Station: Regents Park Station
Vik Muniz at the Ruinart Champagne Bar
For its annual commission, Ruinart Champagne has enlisted Brazillian photographer Vik Muniz to create six striking pieces of art, titled Shared Roots. The series hangs in the Ruinart Bar at Frieze and fittingly pay homage to winegrowers and vineyards. Typical of his mixed-media works, which often incorporate unconventional materials, Muniz uses blackened wood and charcoal to depict twisting tree branches, while a chardonnay leaf is made using the plant itself.
Date: 3-6 October Time: Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm Price: £38.70 per adult ticket Location: Regents Park, Chester Road, London NW1 4NR Closest Station: Regents Park Station
Prada Mode, The Strand
Following the success of Prada Mode during Art Basel Miami, Prada is taking over 180 The Strand during Frieze London, presenting a dynamic programme of exhibitions and events. Billed as a pop-up private members’ club, the space has been transformed by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates as part of an ongoing project, The Black Image Corporation, which challenges preconceptions regarding black identity and culture. There is a lively programme of performances, film screenings and talks throughout the weekend coined Collective Intimacy, which is presented in collaboration with The Vinyl Factory and The Showroom. Fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, director Larry Larry Achiampong and the artist Phoebe Boswell lead the panel discussions, while guests are invited to enjoy more intimate conversations in the ‘Mississippi shack’, where a curious selection of ceramic objects are also on display.
Date: 4-27 October (Collective Intimacy is open 4, 5, 12, 19 and 26 October Price: free entry (no ticket required) Location: 180 The Strand WC2R 3EA Closest Station: Temple
Eating During Frieze: Adam Handling Chelsea
Inspired by Vik Muniz’s aforementioned photographic series, Adam Handling has created a decadent five-course tasting menu at his Chelsea restaurant, adjoined to the Belmond Hotel on Sloane Street. Supporting Handling’s commitment to zero waste and sustainability, dishes incorporate foraged herbs and often overlooked ingredients such as broccoli stems, which are elegantly matched with turbot and caviar, while vine leaves and grapes are used as a nod to Ruinart’s vineyard. The menu is paired with Ruinart Champagne, naturally.
Date: until 13 October Time: Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm Price: £120 per person Location: Adam Handling Chelsea, The Belmond Cadogan, 75 Sloane St, Chelsea, London SW1X 9SG Closest Station: Sloane Street
Kara Walker’s Turbine Hall Commission, Tate Modern
For the fifth installment of the Hyundai Commission at the Tate Modern, American artist Kara Walker is transforming the Turbine Hall with an ambitious new installation. Walker’s racially-charged work candidly references the history of white supremacy and black slavery in the US through figurative black-and-white paper cut-outs, which stretch the length and height of the space.
Date: 2 October 2019 – 5 April 2020 Price: free entry Location: Tate Modern Bankside London SE1 9TG Closest Station: Westminster
PAD Art Fair, Berkeley Square
Coinciding with Frieze London, PAD – Pavillion of Art and Design – is pitching its chic white tent in leafy Berkeley Square for a six-day showcase of museum-quality art, sculpture, fine jewellery and furniture from an international array of acclaimed galleries. Highlights this year include Glenn Spiro’s beguiling coloured gemstones; Fabio Salini’s exquisitely handcrafted Italian jewellery and rare 20th-century furniture by WA Design Gallery (France). This sophisticated and beautifully lit showcase is a sophisticated affair, drawing collectors, art consultants and interior specialists.
Date: 30 September – 6 October Time: 11am-8pm Price: £25 Location: PAD London, Berkeley Square, London W1 Closest Station: Green Park
Hollywood Re-Loaded at HOFA Gallery, by Terry O’Neill CBE and Bran Symondson
Revel in retro glamour at The House of Fine Art in Mayfair, which presents a new photographic series by ex-soldier turned artist Bran Symondson, which boldly reinvents Terry O’Neil’s iconic black-and-white photographs. An all-star cast, including Brigitte Bardot, Frank Sinatra, Peter Sellers, Michael Caine, Raquel Welch and Roger Moore, are presented brandishing firearms, framed by colourful butterflies. The provocative series, previously on display at Annabel’s, raises awareness of gun violence and challenges Hollywood’s complicit viewpoint.
Date: 1-14 October 2019 Time: 10am-7pm Price: free entry Location: 58 Maddox Street, W1S 1AY Closest Station: Oxford Circus / Green Park
The Other Art Fair, Bloomsbury
The biannual Other Art Fair’s London edition returns to Bloomsbury during Frieze Week, hosted by Saatchi Art. Showcasing a wide variety of styles and mediums, the fair offers a platform for emerging artists and is the perfect place for discovering the stars of tomorrow. With an innovative presentation style, expect anything from immersive theatre to live music, accompanied by plenty coffee, drinks, light snacks and a lively atmosphere.
Date: 3-6 October Time: Fri 1-10pm; Sat 11am-7pm; Sun 11am-6pm Price: £11 Location: Victoria House, Southampton Row, London WC1B 5HR Closest Location: Holbor
Koibird, Marylebone
Koibird in Marylebone, known for its stylish edit of beauty, fashion and accessories from exclusively Korean designers, is celebrating Frieze London with an installation by Kwangho Lee, a Seoul-based designer renowned for his contemporary enamel and knitted furniture. Colour-popping ceramics by Ahryun Lee are also on display and available to buy exclusively at Koibird.
Date: 3-6 October Time: Mon-Sat Fri 10am-7pm; Sun 12-6pm Location: 62 Marylebone Lane, Marylebone, London W1U 2PB Closest Location: Bond Street/Baker Street
Frieze Sculpture, Regents Park
Frieze Sculpture is hidden in Regent Park’s English Gardens, showcasing 25 contemporary artists. This year’s impressive roster includes a trio of bronze elephants by British sculptor Barry Flanagan; a cello encrusted with gold-leafed bees by Bill Woodrow and Tracey Emin’s emotive sleeping sculpture, pictured below.
Date: 3 July-6 October Price: Free Location: South side of Regent’s Park, NW1 4LL Closest Station: Regent’s Park
