It’s Frieze-ing, with the arrival of real coat weather and the first tumble of crisp leaves heralding the emergence of two marquees on opposite sides of Regent’s Park, as if by magic. Between them, they host two of the art world’s biggest potential shopping sprees. On the Great Portland Street side, Frieze London, a directionally curated buffet of contemporary art, served up by industry-propping mega-galleries and precocious, scene-steering indies alike. Up towards Camden, Frieze Masters spans the breadth and complexity of art history, from antiquities through Old Masters to queer Modernist masterpieces. Here’s how to navigate the marathon that lies ahead, the Vogue way.
On the official Frieze programme
“My advice for Frieze Week is to broaden your horizons beyond the tent,” remarks Olivia Allen, British Vogue’s fashion writer. (Here are 18 shows worth checking off your list for starters.)
At No 9 Cork Street, Frieze’s permanent space in the heart of Mayfair, shows open during the week include Jordan Nassar’s geometric panels featuring intricate Palestinian tatreez embroidery, presented by Dubai-based The Third Line, and Robin F Williams’s paintings and works on paper, presented by New York-based P·P·O·W. Over the weekend, you’ll also find a brilliant photography show presented in collaboration with Mr & Mrs Smith. Curated by the National Portrait Gallery’s Brandei Estes – the show convenes images by Tina Barney, Isabelle Young, Kalpesh Lathigra and the late, great Martin Parr, among others, that illustrate how individual creative perspectives shape broader perceptions of places. At the ICA, Frieze’s film programme features a work by Yuyan Wang, perhaps my favourite video artist right now. Her film Boring Billion, a found-footage montage exploring a robotic deep-dream of biological agency, is currently on show in a church crypt in Shoreditch as part of her debut solo show at east London gallery Emalin.