Frieze London Art Fair 2013

Has “Frieze” (“the world’s leading art fair”) been thrown by the blossoming of other big hitter Art Fairs on its doorstep such as Citi Bank’s unashamedly commercial “Art 13” and forthcoming “Art 14”… or is it world economic malaise that made this year’s Frieze exhibition in Regents Park seem quietly subdued?

The fair was less frenetic and pushy than in previous years, there were less people milling around in its “bespoke structure” marquee and the battery farm corridors of exhibiting galleries were less crammed. Was this because less people were able to afford the entry ticket, were there less buyers wanting to purchase artworks, or less galleries able to sustain the costly transportation and insurance of art works?

In between the tedious “look at how shocking I am” works that verge on the edge of tacky porn there were lots of good and interesting  pieces by artists concerned with intellectual and social  issues skilfully crafted in various forms. There were also impressive glossy works by celebrity artists sharing standing room with artists on the edge.

The problem for “Frieze” is that it is the progeny of the superficial and materialistic Tory dominated 1980’s YBM era of vacuous celebrity which determined, through money, what “art” is – and, regardless of all the exhibiting Galleries who show worthy and challenging works by artists who resist that slot, the mega size of the fair, and the sheer logistics of it exposes Frieze’s inability to shake off this malaise.

Although this year’s fair differed from last year –  there were curatorial shifts towards collaborative commissioning in the sculpture park, film and music arena, a mixing of disciplines, and a youthful sense of trying the untried the “commercial gallery” arena was still dominant. Frieze has become a huge event that can’t be missed but I wonder if a year on and in a continuing dire economic climate, the big Frieze will begin to thaw…?

£32 Frieze one day or £50 Frieze and Masters one day
£16 per adult per day on the door (£11 in advance)

See Images from Frieze 2013 on the RCA Society website