AO On-Site – New York: Frieze New York, May 4th – 7th, 2017

May 7th, 2017

Jeppe Hein at 303 Gallery, via Art Observed
Jeppe Hein at 303 Gallery, via Art Observed

Following a solid four days of operation on Randall’s Island, Frieze New York closed this evening, bringing a conclusion to the first weeks of May’s busy art calendar, and setting the stage for major auctions coming shortly for the city.  The final hours today brought one last push of sales, as dealers rallied to wrap final talks with their clients, while other late guests walked the aisles looking for a hidden gem.  

Frieze New York
Jenny Holzer at Cheim and Read, via Art Observed

Laurent Grasso at Galerie Perrotin, via Art Observed
Laurent Grasso at Galerie Perrotin, via Art Observed

The low count of European collectors, as noted in the early hours of the fair, did little to damper the enthusiasm often felt for Frieze among both the gallery and collector circles of the city and its broader networks, and buyers could still be seen combing the fair during its last hours, not to mention the handful of meticulously dressed Leonardo DiCaprio characters roaming the fair, a project by New York-based, Croatian-born Dora Budor.  The commissioned piece, which placed a number of DiCaprio’s various alter-egos over the years (ranging from Catch Me if You Can’s smarmy playboy to The Revenant’s brutal man of the wild), the piece was a striking (and quite hilarious) twist on performance and the act of celebrity in the modern cultural context.

Frieze New York
Marco Giardona at Frutta, via Art Observed

Yan Pei Ming at Thaddaeus Ropac, via Art Observed
Yan Pei Ming at Thaddaeus Ropac, via Art Observed

Other highlights included an impressive neon wall work by Jeppe Hein on view at 303, offering a moment of pause and reflection in its gentle white glow, while The Modern Institute was showing a selection of works by Sue Tompkins, showcasing works from the past few years of the artist’s enigmatic approach to the canvas and the signs it contains.  Elsewhere, one could take in Anton van Dalen’s enigmatic pigeon coop sculpture, which played on traditions of pigeon keeping in New York, explored in conjunction with the artist’s own history as a Dutch immigrant to the city, and his personal relationships with these groups of bird-keepers.

Art Observed was on site for the final hours of the fair, and captured these images documenting the last day of Frieze.

Frieze New York
Ivan Argote at Perceptible, via Art Observed

Frieze New York
Brian Bress at Josh Lilley, via Art Observed

Elmgreen and Dragset at Victoria Miro, via Art ObservedElmgreen and Dragset at Victoria Miro, via Art Observed

Sue Tompkins at The Modern Institute, via Art Observed
Sue Tompkins at The Modern Institute, via Art Observed

James Rosenquist at Eyckyn Maclean, via Art Observed
James Rosenquist at Eyckyn Maclean, via Art Observed

Frieze New York
Jim Lambie at Modern Institute, via Art Observed

David Velasco and Anicka Yi in conversation, via Art Observed
David Velasco and Anicka Yi in conversation, via Art Observed

Pigeons inside an installation by Anton Van Dalen at PPOW, via Art Observed
Pigeons inside an installation by Anton Van Dalen at P.P.O.W., via Art Observed

Jose Davila at Sean Kelly, via Art Observed
Jose Davila at Sean Kelly, via Art Observed

— D. Creahan

Read more:
Frieze New York [Exhibition Site]