radical innovations empower frieze london 2024

BY GÜLAY YAŞAYANLAR & MÜMTAZ SAĞLAM

Overall, Frieze, which appears to be undergoing a serious identity change, has gained an energetic and exciting appearance that promises hope for the future by making room for new galleries and young artists at a time when fair competition is being keenly felt. Therefore, it’s quite normal for new expectations to form in the direction of developing ambitious projects with more intensive content preparation, bringing qualified works together with the audience, and enabling the discovery of new artists.

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Frieze London and Frieze Masters were held simultaneously at The Regent’s Park from October 9 to 13, 2024. Both fairs welcomed visitors with radical design innovations and spatial arrangements, and the galleries’ preference for solo exhibition formats appeared to be a fitting approach. This made it possible to more thoroughly evaluate the new approaches of especially young artists and to track the stylistic quality and continuity of their work.

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the 2024 edition of frieze london

Frieze London is a determined and powerful organisation that seeks to discover artists from different geographies through its renewed concept and curatorial perspective. This dynamic environment, formed with the participation of 170 galleries from nearly 50 countries, seemed to dispel concerns about stagnation in the sector. Moreover, the wave of excitement it created with numerous exhibition events held in museums and galleries quickly spread throughout London. Directed by Eva Langret, the fair was organised into four significant sections this year: Artist-to-Artist, Smoke, Focus, and Editions. Additionally, Frieze Sculptures continued to offer an interesting viewing experience to its audience by spreading across the expansive area of the English Garden. Meanwhile, initiatives like the Frieze Artist Award were also observed to be ongoing. [1] – [2]

Artist-to-Artist is undoubtedly one of Frieze’s most engaging projects. [3] Curated by Thomas Marx, this section features six emerging artists who are introduced by renowned artists, thanks to Frieze’s global connections, with the promise of support. In this year’s project, six artists -Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom, Rob Davis, Nengi Omuku, Massinissa Selmani, Magda Stawarska, and Peter Uka- selected and recommended by celebrated artists Lubaina Himid, Hurvin Anderson, Rashid Johnson, Glen Ligon, Zineb Sedira, and Yinka Shonibare, were showcased. Special spaces were allocated for their solo exhibitions, and their works were presented with care. 

Within the scope of the project, the exhibition featuring Massinissa Selmani, recommended by Zineb Sedira, particularly drew attention with its development of humorous interpretations through an imaginative dimension on Algeria. This arrangement, which brings together extraordinary elements, employs an approach that criticizes oppressive political practices by making cultural contradictions visible. By focusing on details related to family history and local culture, the artist underscores harsh realities through a discourse that actually highlights them. An appropriate environment was thus provided for discovering his original approach, comprising impressive and bold works made up of objects, photographs, and animated drawings. [4]

The fair’s new theme, Smoke, is an arrangement dedicated to contemporary ceramics structured within local historical references under the curation of Pablo Jose Ramirez. Here, works shaped by diasporic references exploring local histories are highlighted through galleries participating mostly from Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Emphasis is placed on the aesthetic quality and use of ceramics, focusing on its relationship with social and historical movements. As the name suggests, the exhibition is dedicated to the smoke emitted during the firing process and the mysterious and impactful results achieved. Smoke features works by artists including Guatemalan Manuel Chavajay, Honduran Adán Vallecillo, and Obispeño Chumash and Hispanic artist Christine Howard Sandoval. [5]

Focus is a privileged display area shaped by Frieze with new galleries. Including independent new spaces active in London, this section featured 34 individual artist presentations in galleries spread across five continents. Advised by Joumana Asseily, Piotr Drewko, and Cédric Fauq, Focus holds a privileged position right at the center of the fair. Participants included new galleries active in London such as Brunette Coleman, Rose Easton, Ginny on Frederick, Harlesden High Street, Nicoletti, Public, Soft Opening, South Parade, and Xxijra Hii, as well as galleries like 56 Henry (New York), El Apartamento (Havana, Madrid), Selebe Yoon (Dakar), and Stars (Los Angeles), which operate in cities that bring an international dimension to this event. [6] Through this occasion, Frieze provided substantial support to the creative and intellectual efforts and development aspirations of non-profit institutions and artists, as well as to their determination to exhibit independently. It was extremely valuable to encourage civil approaches seeking collaborative work in this manner.

In the final section named Editions, consisting of limited-edition artworks produced by famous artists, new opportunities were naturally offered to collectors with an appropriate pricing policy. Galleries participating in Editions this year included Borch Editions (Copenhagen), Counter Editions (Margate), Cristea Roberts Gallery (London), Knust Kunz Gallery Editions (Munich), Paragon (London), and STPI (Singapore).

Overall, Frieze, which appears to be undergoing a serious identity change, has gained an energetic and exciting appearance that promises hope for the future by making room for new galleries and young artists at a time when fair competition is being keenly felt. Therefore, it’s quite normal for new expectations to form in the direction of developing ambitious projects with more intensive content preparation, bringing qualified works together with the audience, and enabling the discovery of new artists. Evaluating the production dynamics and orientations of young artists in an international environment is undoubtedly very important for the future. As clearly demonstrated by the 2024 edition, many provocative and impactful approaches laden with political, social, and cultural messages are already waiting to emerge. 

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Also see: https://saglamart.com/frieze-london-a-contemporary-art-ritual

Gülay Yaşayanlar & Mümtaz Sağlam, Copyright © 2024 / All Rights Reserved.