Elmgreen and Dragset, Powerless Structures (2013) and Hernan Bas, Pearl and pink pansy (fishing in the foliage) (2013) at Victoria Miro
Frieze London officially opened its doors today for its press and VIP preview, welcoming buyers from around the world to the temporary structure in Regent’s Park for another week of high-profile sales and new works. Â A markedly reduced affair from last year (the number of galleries on view has been reduced by about 25), the fair still kicked off in traditional fashion, with a rush of early buyers passing through the galleries to review the plenitude of paintings, sculpture, videos and photography spread throughout the fair’s enormous space.
Damien Hirst, The Afterlife (2012)
A number of works commanded attention early, in particular sculptor Jennifer Rubell’s enormous Portrait of the Artist, a towering sculpture of the artist in the deep stages of her pregnancy, but with a hollowed out stomach, commanded ample attention, particularly as attendees could sit inside the fiberglass sculpture, creating a bizarre parallel between childhood and pregnancy for  both participant and artist.  Duo Elmgreen and Dragset were also frequently seen, with works on view at both Galerie Perrotin and Victoria Miro.  Their particular blend of cheeky humor with occasionally morbid imagery made for a fitting complement to the proceedings of the fair.
James Lee Byars, Four In A Dress (1967)
But for sheer star power, few could ignore the Gagosian Gallery booth, who brought a number of sizable Jeff Koons sculptures, each with a hefty, multi-million dollar price tag. Â Mixing recent work with older pieces, the show served as a micro-retrospective of Koons’s recent output, perhaps preparing the art world for his retrospective next year at the Whitney.
Grayson Perry, Primitive Men (1994) Victoria Miro
Overall, there were considerable surprises in store for visitors, and Art Observed was on-site to document the goings-on at one of the world’s largest art fairs.
Victoria Miro at her Booth
Two George Condo Sculptures and Rosemarie Trockel’s Square Enemy (2006) at Sprüth Magers
Adam Pendleton and Chuck Close at Pace London
David Shrigley, Lady Taking a Poop (2013) Anton Kern Gallery
Dee Ferris, Lounge Lover (2013) and Blue Milk (2013). Tomoaki Suzuki, Nia (2010) at Corvi-Mora
Tomoaki Suzuki, Nia (2010) at Corvi-Mora
Doug Aitken, You/You (2012), 303 Gallery
Jeppe Hein, Right Diagonal Cut (2011) 303 Gallery
A Takashi Murakami sculpture at Galerie Perrotin
Elmgreen and Dragset, He (2013) at Galerie Perrotin
A number of works by Jeff Koons at Gagosian
Mickalene Thomas, Untitled (2013) at Lehmann Maupin
Lehmann Maupin Booth
Tracey Emin, Lehmann Maupin Booth
Dan Graham at Lisson
Galerist Thaddaeus Ropac at his booth
Georg Baselitz, Yellow Song (2013) at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Ron Mueck, Woman with Shopping (2013) Hauser and Wirth
Ron Mueck, Woman with Shopping (2013) Hauser and Wirth
Paul MacCarthy at Hauser and Wirth
Hauser and Wirth
Maccarone Booth
Maccarone Booth
Alex Hubbard at Maccarone Booth
Kevin Francis Gray at Pace Gallery
Katharina Fritsch, Madonnenfigur (Madonna) (1982), Maus (Mouse) (1998) and Thomas Demand, Hole (2012) Matthew Marks Gallery
Matias Paldbakken at Long March booth
Pace Gallery
Michael Werner Booth
Jay Jopling at his booth. Fred Tomaselli, Torso (1999), All pictures by Caroline Claisse for Artobserved.
—D. Creahan
“Bigger, Brighter, Better: Frieze 2013” [The Guardian]
“London Makes Way for the Unexpected” [New York Times]
“Frieze Art Fair: Buyer choice expands from porn and puddles to a Brueghel” [The Guardian]
“Eyes of the World Turn to London” [The Telegraph]
