Frieze Week Photo Diary
Some great shows to see in London right now
Every October, Frieze turns London's Regent's Park into a hub for contemporary art, attracting collectors, critics, and art lovers alike. This year’s edition didn’t disappoint, showcasing exciting new works by both emerging and established artists. However, the buzz isn’t confined to Frieze alone—across the city, exhibitions and events are in full swing, offering an even richer art experience.
Here's our photo diary of a select few things we saw in London last week—at the fair and beyond!
The Frieze Focus section at the fair was as impressive as expected!
It was here that we found Copenhagen gallery Palace Enterprise who presented The Birds by Danish artist Benedikte Bjerre. Bjerre used the birds cute appearance to mask sharp critiques of capitalism and climate change.
We popped in for an out of hours opening of Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers at The National Gallery, running until January 19, 2025
On our way out, we passed Teresa Margolles Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant)—the latest Fourth Plinth commission in Trafalgar Square.
This monolithic sculpture was made with plaster cast moulds of the faces of 726 transgender people from Mexico and the UK. Arranged in a format that mimics a ‘tzompantli’—a horrifying skull rack that featured in Aztec Meso-American civilisation—the installation serves as a collective statement against transfemenicide.
We had the privilege of experiencing an insightful tour of Jonas Wood’s new exhibition at Gagosian, led by the artist himself—open until November 23, 2024
We also stopped by Anna Weyant: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolves? over the road at Gagosian’s smaller Davies Street space—open until December 20, 2024
We finally got around to seeing Urs Fisher: Scratch & Sniff at Sadie Coles, open until November 9, 2024. We loved the gallery floor, which was covered in a vinyl image replicating Fischer’s actual LA studio flooring.
We snuck into Oscar Murillo: A balancing act between collapse and spirit at David Zwirner —featuring a much welcomed appearance from SpongeBob, Patrick & Plankton. The show runs until November 16, 2024
A must see: George Rouy: The Bleed, Part I at Hauser & Wirth. His paintings are a cocktail of all the best female artists: Jenny Saville, Marlene Dumas, Julie Mehretu, and Cecily Brown—amazing!
We said hello to Michael at the Royal Academy of Arts, where his largest UK exhibition is open until December 10, 2024
Arlo Parks lit up the Koko stage for Frieze Music in collaboration with BMW. This venue was b-e-a-utiful!
Last but not least, we saw Vivien Zhang: Flat Earth at Pilar Corrias, open until November 9, 2024. The works and the install were so well done!…
…and downstairs at Pilar lies the immersive world of Rirkrit Tiravanija: A Million Rabbit Holes, also open until November 9th. The installation reflects the tense atmosphere of American politics as another Presidential election approaches this autumn.
And that’s all folks,
There were many things we didn’t manage to squeeze into last week, including Lauren Halsey at Serpentine and what looks like an incredible Francis Bacon show at the National Portrait Gallery. Luckily, these exhibitions run into 2025, so we’ve got something to look forward to!
What were your highlights from last week? We’d love to hear your recommendations!