Frieze London 2024: Redefining the Art Fair Experience

Frieze London 2024: Redefining the Art Fair Experience

13/10/2024

The 22nd Frieze London and the 12th Frieze Masters took place from October 9–13, 2024, in Regent’s Park, London. Bringing together over 270 galleries from 47 countries, the fair offered a rich synthesis of contemporary art with works that span centuries(Frieze Masters). Yet, this year’s Frieze was marked not just by its scale but also by a significant shift in strategy, perhaps spurred by growing competition from Art Basel Paris, a rising star in the European art fair circuit.

Frieze London has visibly embraced a renewed focus on small galleries and young artists, aiming to reclaim its avant-garde roots. This year’s revamped layout placed the “Focus” section—dedicated to emerging galleries and artists—at the forefront of the visitor experience. Marked by lake-blue signage, this central section was impossible to miss upon entering the fair, replacing the usual dominance of blue-chip galleries at the entrance. This subtle yet powerful change was more than just a reorganisation; it was a redefinition of how visitors encounter art and artists.

The “Focus” section brought a fresh energy to Frieze, with many galleries curating its booth as a solo exhibition. Among the highlights was The Birds(2017) by Danish artist Benedikte Bjerre, an installation that became a social media favourite. The identical and inflated penguins created foil balloons, are slightly moving and bouncing off the floor inviting people to observe but also reflect on how mass consumerism has hastened climate change. Parallel to this, the “Artist-to-Artist” program, introduced last year, further elevated the visibility of emerging talent. Led by established artists who hand-picked rising stars, this initiative fostered dialogue and mentorship across generations.

The Birds, 2017, Benedikte Bjerre at Frieze London 2024

Telling Stories Through Solo Presentations

Another notable shift this year was the tendency of large international galleries to focus on single-artist presentations. One standout was Billy Childish, the “rock poet” whose on-site drawing session became a spectacle in itself. Chewing gum while sketching alongside a young man and a child, Childish transformed his booth into a living studio, breaking down the usual barriers between artist and audience. The raw, performative quality of the scene drew crowds, with visitors eager to witness the artist at work. By the end of the opening day, Childish’s works had nearly sold out, a testament to the power of narrative-driven exhibitions in today’s market.

ice river, 2024, Billy Childish, courtesy to Lehmann Maupin Gallery

Lehmann Maupin Gallery’s stand at Frieze London 2024

This emphasis on storytelling extended to the new thematic section, “Smoke,” which highlighted ceramics as a contemporary medium of cultural and historical resonance. Moving beyond traditional understandings of Oriental ceramics, this section explored themes of cultural dispersal and Indigenous histories, signalling a shift in the global discourse on materiality and aesthetics. “Smoke” provided a thoughtful counterpoint to the commercial energy of the fair, anchoring it in a deeper exploration of artistic meaning.

Manuel Chavajay, 7 Days, 2024. Ceramic, acrylic, spray, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist and Pablo Cera

Navigating a Challenging Market

While the fair’s artistic direction was invigorating, it unfolded against the backdrop of a challenging market environment. Over the past year, London’s art market has faced significant headwinds, with blue-chip galleries like Marlborough shuttering operations and auction houses reporting sharp declines. As reported by The Guardian, Christie's saw a 22% drop in sales in the first half of 2024, while Sotheby’s profits plummeted by 88% (Bakare 2024). These figures, though requiring context, underline a market struggling to adapt to economic uncertainties. Yet, Axel Rüger, chief executive of the Royal Academy, remains optimistic. Speaking at the fair’s launch, he asserted London’s enduring role as a global art capital. “We need to be proud and hang on to that before, you know, these other art fairs and capitals elsewhere try to encroach on our terrain.” (Bakare 2024) 

Since the launch of Basel Paris in 2022, the French capital has gained momentum as a contender in the European art scene. Post-Brexit tax policies have made Paris increasingly attractive to buyers and sellers, leading to steady growth in France’s market share. While London still commands 17% of the global art market compared to Paris’s 7% (Bakare 2024), the shifting dynamics raise questions about the future balance of power.

Despite this, Frieze Art Fair director Eva Langret struck a conciliatory tone, suggesting that London and Paris can “be great together.” (Bakare 2024) She emphasized the distinctiveness of each fair, framing them as complementary rather than competitive. As Frieze London pivots to focus on emerging talent and innovative layouts, it continues to define itself as a dynamic platform for contemporary art, even in the face of uncertainty.

Reference:

Bakare, Lanre. 2024. “Outside Frieze’s Big Tent, the London Art World Faces Severe Headwinds,” The Guardian (The Guardian) <https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/oct/07/outside-friezes-big-tent-the-london-art-world-faces-severe-headwinds> [accessed 20 November 2024]