What to see at Frieze 2019: the artists and galleries not to miss
From Picasso’s ceramics to an augmented-reality sculpture, this year’s international art fair is full of magical pieces
The highlight of the art-world calendar, Frieze London and Frieze Masters come to London from 3 to 6 October, bringing a selection of the most dazzling contemporary artworks, exhibited by 290 different galleries, to Regent’s Park. Here are Bazaar’s recommendations of what to see at the fairs.
Himali Singh Soin at Frieze London
The London- and Delhi-based artist Himali Singh Soin is the winner of the Frieze Artist Award at this year’s Frieze London. Working in the medium of film, she responded to a brief that asked to consider the state of the nation with a compelling film that will be shown at the fair, as well as being broadcast by Channel 4 Random Acts this autumn. Telling stories from the perspective of a melting fossil – ice – that has witnessed historic changes throughout time, Singh Soin’s film, We are opposite like that, builds on her research project into remote areas of the Arctic and Antarctic. Singh Soin creates fictional myths for places that lack indigenous communities and legends of their own.
‘Woven’ at Frieze London
‘Woven’ is a new themed section at Frieze London, curated by Cosmin Costinas, that features varied textile and weaving work by artists including Pacita Abad, Monika Correa, Chitra Ganesh, José Leonilson and Angela Su, all exploring how contemporary art is stitched from a variety of traditions. The vibrant work pictured here is by the Filipina-American painter Pacita Abad, who developed a process in the 1970s called ‘trapunto painting’ that involves adding quilting to her canvases; her presentation for ‘Woven’ offers a kaleidoscopic interpretation of immigrant experience.
Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert at Frieze Masters
Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert’s booth at Frieze Masters focuses on British Pop artists, including Peter Blake, David Hockney, Allen Jones and Eduardo Paolozzi, among others. A highlight is Allen Jones’ You Dare (1967), pictured here. Using vivid colours and playful style, Jones presents a set of aluminium steps that extend beyond the picture plane into the booth, attracting and disorienting viewers in equal measure.
Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert is at Frieze Masters, at stand C19.
Picasso ceramics at Galerie Chenel, Frieze Masters
Galerie Chenel will put iconic ceramics by Pablo Picasso, such as the striking dish pictured here, in conversation with beautiful Roman antiquities. The Gallery, established in Paris in 1999, specialises in archaeological objects, with particular emphasis on Roman arts.
Galerie Chenel is at Frieze Masters, at stand B9.
Susan Hiller at Lisson Gallery, Frieze Masters
Lisson Gallery will celebrate the late artist Susan Hiller with a solo booth showcasing pieces from her remarkable career spanning almost half a century. Exploring themes of family and traditional gender roles, the pieces will include one of the artist’s earliest works, Small painting with long title (1969), which will be shown for the first time.
Lisson Gallery is at Frieze Masters, at stand G08.
‘The Medium’s Medium’ at the Gallery of Everything, Frieze Masters
The Gallery of Everything presents ‘The Medium’s Medium’ at Frieze Masters this year. A survey of late 19th- and early 20th-century visual spiritualism consisting of more than 20 artists, the display will also contextualise the movement’s influence on other artists and schools, from surrealism to art brut and art deco. Rather than imposing a fixed narrative, the project will encourage viewers to experience the various drawings and paintings on their own terms. Pieces on display will include a recently discovered collection of works by the Czech palaeontologist František Jaroslav Pecka (an example is pictured here), alongside rare pieces by Madge Gill and performance work by Augustin Lesage.
The Gallery of Everything is at Frieze Masters, at stand G20.
Betty Parsons at Alison Jacques Gallery, Frieze London
Alison Jacques will showcase the work of the gallerist and dealer Betty Parsons, who made a seminal contribution to the post-war New York art scene. Her eponymous gallery, which opened in 1946, promoted the work of emerging artists of the era, including Helen Frankenthaler, Hedda Sterne, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. Now, an exhibition at Alison Jacques in central London uncovers Parsons’ lesser-known role as an abstract painter and sculptor, charting the evolution of her signature bold, colourful style throughout her six-decade career. Highlights of the show, which focuses on her paintings from the 1960s and 1970s, include Midnight Flute (1968), with its crimson and cerulean concentric ovals, and the carnivalesque The Queen of the Circus (1973), pictured here.
Alison Jacques Gallery is at Frieze London, at stand B8.
Koo Jeong-a at Frieze Sculpture
For a truly mesmerising viewing experience, don’t miss the Seoul-born artist Koo Jeong-a’s augmented-reality work Density. Shown as part of Frieze Sculpture in Regent’s Park, the piece invites visitors to witness colossal, hovering slabs of ice through an app on their mobile phones.
Frieze Sculpture is in Regent’s Park until 6 October. ‘Density’ is available to view via the Acute Art app.
Richard Mille at Frieze Masters
For Frieze week this year, the luxury watch brand Richard Mille (now a global partner of the event) will curate an overview of its exquisite timepieces at Frieze Masters. Within the display, the parts of a watch will be revealed as complex miniature sculptures, showing the level of detail and artistry involved in the creation of every single piece, and emphasising the links between design, art and architecture. Not only are Richard Mille’s watches emblems of fastidious craftsmanship, but the brand also shows its commitment to the arts in other ways: a few years ago, it acquired the Parisian publishing house founded by Pablo Picasso in the 1950s, Editions Cercle d’Art, and it has previously collaborated with artists including Cyril Kongo.
The Richard Mille exhibition located within Frieze Masters will be open to the public between 2 and 6 October.
Artist Simone Brewster doesn’t believe in labels
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on longing for Iran
On the road with Sarah Lucas and Maggi Hambling
Katy Hessel: 10 things I’ve learnt from artists
