Frieze Week Lights Up London Art Scene – With Results Better Than Expected

Frieze Week has taken over the UK once again, with Frieze London, Frieze Masters, and Frieze Sculpture lighting up The Regent’s Park in a huge celebration of the best and brightest in contemporary art.  It’s a staple of the season – but this year, the leading art fair has had to overcome several major challenges.

Palace enterprise, Frieze London 2024. Courtesy Frieze / Linda Nylind.

The art world has been buzzing about the major rivalry between two giants in the world of art fairs: Frieze and Art Basel.  This year, Frieze London takes place from the 8th to the 13th of October, while Art Basel appears in Paris from the 18th to the 20th.  This has led to months of speculation over a potential split amongst dealers and exhibitors, who many believed would have to make a significant choice – London or Paris?  In a post-Brexit Britain, the question is a loaded one. 

Frieze London 2024. Courtesy Frieze / Linda Nylind.

However, ARTnews reports that fears about “whether Paris may overtake London as art’s European capital” are largely unfounded, since the two fairs have very different focuses and atmospheres.  In fact, over 30 galleries are choosing to exhibit at both.  Some even view the so-called split as positive, helping to define each fair’s distinctive character.  V&A East curator Guy Casely-Hayford told the Guardian: “You look at something like London fashion week and Paris fashion week, there are some designers who choose to do one or the other […] But that helps to inflect each one of those different fashion weeks with a particular kind of localised feel, and that will probably continue to happen as the kind of Paris offer strengthens.”  And so, coexistence may yet be possible; how Art Basel Paris will perform in the wake of Frieze London’s success remains to be seen.

Frieze London 2024. Courtesy Frieze / Linda Nylind.

Another concern has been the UK’s contracting art market.  Recent political and economic turmoil around the world has led to a somewhat hesitant atmosphere among buyers, which triggered almost apocalyptic predictions of lacklustre sales and dwindling interest over the past few months.  This simmering tension has been behind a relatively flat period for the global scene, and many commentators expressed apprehension that this would be reflected in Frieze London’s outcomes. 

Frieze London 2024. Courtesy Frieze / Linda Nylind.

In reality, this year has proven to be a positive one for Frieze.  In particular, the first-day sales far surpassed expectations, with several major acquisitions from artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Billy Childish.  ARTnews reported good results for Christie’s 20th/21st century evening auction – coming in at a total of $107.1 million plus fees, the event fell short of its high estimate, but nonetheless announced a successful day.  

Frieze London 2024. Courtesy Frieze / Linda Nylind.

With Frieze London alone featuring over 160 booths from 43 countries, according to the New York Times, there was certainly plenty to choose from.  The fair covers a wide array of galleries, artists, styles, and price ranges, which has led to a remarkably vibrant and diverse offering.  One of the most frequent comments from guests, critics, and commentators has been in relation to Frieze’s unique “international flair” and global feel.  Aside from the biggest names, the art fair has placed an increased emphasis on smaller galleries and emerging talent in a bid to revitalise the market: the fair’s updated layout works to highlight emerging galleries, as opposed to the old structure, which put the commercial giants such as David Zwirner or Hauser & Wirth front and centre.  

Frieze London 2024. Courtesy Frieze / Linda Nylind.

Overall, despite the many challenges it has faced, Frieze London has defied expectations.  Successful sales results and a slew of positive reviews have sent a new wave of excitement through the global art scene, reigniting hope in a more positive atmosphere for the coming year.