A Look at Frieze New York

While few booths at the fair were standouts on their own (exceptions include Galleria Foksal’s stunning exhibition of paintings by Polish artist Paulina Olowska, Bureau’s solo Justin Matherly booth, and Ben Schumacher at Bortolami), the general impression most collectors and visitors had was that the works on view were excellent. Some of the most striking works on display were actually those not for sale- rather installed around the exterior of the tent itself, as part of Frieze Projects, an exhibition of new works by 10 artists selected by curator Cecilia Alemani and commissioned by Frieze. Particularly interesting works were those by artists Uri Aran, who created a surreal ticket shack at the foot of the gangplank to the Frieze ferry, which every two hours was the scene of a performance in which some sort of medical examination was undertaken, and installations by artist Viginina Overton involving mirrors threateningly bent between the trunks of trees. One of the most common talking points among fair goers was the fantastic food on offer, which ranged from uptown favorite Sant Ambroeus, to downtown classics Frankie’s and Fat Radish (Brooklyn’s own Roberta’s represented with a pop-up pizza oven).

Nearly as impressive as the goings on at Randall’s Island were the dozens of events both in conjunction with Frieze and those simply coinciding with Frieze Week, including numerous gallery openings, galas, and the arrival of another new (albeit scrappier) art fair- the quickly up-and-coming NADA fair, housed in the former Dia building in Chelsea. NADA’s somewhat less-refined fair layout was counter-balanced by the quality of the work on display. Many hometown New York galleries presented excellent booths, including Brennan & Griffin, which had works by Mary Weatherford, an artist whose work for over a decade has focused on portraying a particular seaside cave in California, accessible to the artist only a few times a year. Other local galleries with notable booths include Untitled, who had a solo David Adamo presentation, Brooklyn’s the journal gallery, exhibiting a beautiful single work by Leif Ritchey, and Martos Gallery, with a series of large, colorful monochrome paintings by Henry Cofax, a pseudonym for artists Jacob Kassay and Olivier Mosset.

Mary Weatherford. “Cave.” Courtesy of Brennan & Griffen.

 

Among the most notable gallery shows to open during Frieze Week, among a bevy of notable shows, were exhibitions by Ryan McGinley at Team Gallery, featuring playful photographs of nudes juxtaposed with various types furry critters, and Helmut Lang: Sculptures, a show of large sculptures in clay and rubber by the artist-turned celebrity designer-turned artist, organized by art advisor Mark Fletcher and curator Neville Wakefield. Finally, Gagosian gallery once again proved its ability to exhibit the absolute best works by an artist with an enormous exhibition of works by Italian artist Lucio Fontana, including a number of rarely seen fluorescent light installations.

Lucio Fontana. “Ambienti Spaziali” at Gagosian Gallery. Photograph by Pip Deely.

Mykki Blanco for Creative Time’s 2012 Annual Gala. Curated by Kalika Farmer. Courtesy of Creative Time.

 

On Friday night, many of the artists and collectors seen around Frieze throughout the week celebrated public arts powerhouse Creative Time at a massive gala to celebrate its 40th year at the Roseland Ballroom. In line with the benefit’s dance theme, once dinner came to an end, performance artist Mykki Blanco introduced the second half of the evening’s program- a raucous dance competition judged by none other than a panel including mega-collectors and arts patrons Beth Rudin de Woody and Melva Bucksbaum, as well as Creative Time chief curator Nato Thompson. Meanwhile, a number of serious collectors used the dance-off as an excuse to slip back to the silent auction, snapping up works by blue-chip artists like Dirk Skreber and Barbara Kruger, as well as rising young stars like Ryan Foerster, Brock Enright, Sam Anderson and Rochelle Goldberg.

Creative Time’s 40^th Anniversary Gala. Photograph by Billy Farell Agency.

Helmut Lang Sculptures. Photograph by Adam Reich.

 

While many art fairs take years to iron out their kinks, the Frieze Art Fair, refined by over a decade in London, has hit the ground running and made a big impression (including as-of-yet unfounded rumors of numerous epically seasick VIPs on the ferries after the fair preview Thursday evening). Though hardly over, Frieze already has nearly everyone in the New York art world eagerly awaiting its next installment.