Frieze Masters London - 2024
Frieze Masters and its sister event, Frieze London, returned to their iconic venue at Regent’s Park, offering a unique contemporary perspective on millennia of art history. This includes collectable pieces alongside renowned masterpieces from ancient times and the Old Masters through to the late 20th century.
Frieze Masters presents a distinct contemporary viewpoint on millennia of art history, encompassing collectable items alongside notable masterpieces from ancient times and the Old Masters up to the late 20th century. The 2024 fair featured over 130 prominent galleries from around the globe. Leading independent curators guide special sections dedicated to 20th-century art and focused displays of historical works and artefacts.
Curated by Sheena Wagstaff, it encourages an environment where an artist’s appreciation for history ignites innovative creation that results in future-oriented objects. The acclaimed Spotlight section also makes a comeback, highlighting pioneers in avant-garde art worldwide, with solo showcases of works by overlooked talents and seldom-seen practices from modern masters.
Frieze Masters coincides with its sister fair, Frieze London, held in Regent’s Park. While Frieze London emphasises contemporary art and living artists predominantly producing work post-2000, Frieze Masters features pieces created before 2000. Linking the two events, Frieze Sculpture offers a complimentary display of significant outdoor artworks in the English Gardens at the southern end of The Broadwalk in Regent’s Park.
See below a selection of personal gallery and art highlights from Martyn’s visit to the fair.
Gagosian - New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Le Bourget, Geneva, Basel, Gstaad, Rome, Athens, Hong Kong
Gagosian showcased an exhibition curated by artist Urs Fischer that juxtaposes sculptures from the late American artist John Chamberlain (1927–2011) with furniture designed by Australian creator Marc Newson. Fischer’s choices highlight the contrast between Chamberlain’s desire to expose the physical makeup of industrial items through aggressive reshaping and Newson’s skilled precision, which masks the artisanal aspect of his creations.
Luxembourg + Co - London, New York
Works by Alice Baber (1928, Charleston, IL - 1982, New York, NY) curated at the Luxembourg + Co stand. Baber viewed herself as a colour explorer, seeing paint as a living substance that moves freely, reshaping itself and activating surrounding colours. Although she began her career with figurative still life, by the late 1950s, Baber embraced a non-figurative approach similar to the Abstract Expressionist movement in New York and Paris. Over the postwar decades, she gradually abandoned figuration. Unlike contemporaries such as Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler, who associated expressionism with gestural technique, Baber was driven by her 'colour hunger,' a term linked to her work that reflects her synesthetic method of engaging different senses through colour. 'When I conceive of a painting, I must feel it, hear it, taste it, and want to eat it.'
Thomsen Gallery - New York
Thomsen Gallery showcased a remarkable collection of Japanese art from the 20th century, placing particular emphasis on artworks originating from the Taisho and Showa eras, which spanned the years from 1910 to 1940. This exhibition offered visitors an insightful exploration of the cultural, historical, and artistic developments that characterized this vibrant period in Japanese history.
Carlton Rochell Asian Art - New York
Carlton Rochell is a gallery in New York dedicated to showcasing Indian and Southeast Asian art, featuring remarkable pieces that are seldom seen outside of museums. Named after its founder, Carlton Rochell initiated the first full-time auctions in North America focused on Indian and Southeast Asian art in 1985. He has curated many significant items from prestigious collections, including the Pan-Asian Collection, the Heeramaneck Collection, and works belonging to notable figures such as Carter Burden, Laurance Rockefeller, William S. Paley, the Ehrenfeld Collection, the Estate of William H. Wolff, the Estate of Richard B. Gump, among others.
Victoria Miro: Adriana Varejão - London, Venice
Victoria Miro showcased a solo exhibition by Adriana Varejão as part of Studio, curated by Sheena Wagstaff. Adriana Varejão, one of the most distinctive and influential voices in contemporary Brazilian art, is recognized globally for her work that explores the intricate themes of history, memory, and culture through decolonial narratives. This extensive collection of Varejão's works (born 1964, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) comprises significant pieces from her career along with three new Azulejão (Portuguese tile) paintings and materials from her extensive archive. By emphasising the artists’ creative environments, Studio – now in its second year – illustrates how the past informs current artistic creation, presenting living practice in conversation with historical art for future audiences. This exhibition is supplemented by a new essay from Anna Schneider, a writer, cultural organiser, and curator at Haus der Kunst München.
Annely Juda Fine Art - London
Annely Juda Fine Art showcased an enthralling journey into abstraction through the works of some of Britain’s finest artists, all focused on the theme of Line and Space. The exhibition features dynamic wall reliefs by prominent British Constructionist pioneers, including Gillian Wise, Mary Martin, and Anthony Hill, alongside a captivating 20-part panel painting by Alan Charlton. This collection is complemented by vibrant geometric works on paper from Sean Scully and Bridget Riley, whose rhythmic patterns and intricate designs provide a captivating look at spatial complexity. By contrasting groundbreaking early 20th-century Constructionist works with contemporary creations, the exhibition highlights a compelling dialogue between generations of non-figurative artists, emphasising the lasting influence of early innovators on today’s British abstract art.
Proyectos Monclova - Mexico City
Proyectos Monclova showcases a solo booth for Mexican artist Manuel Felguérez (1928–2020), who expanded the horizons of Mexican art amidst political constraints. His artistry includes painting and sculpture, blending technology with tradition to craft precise forms and balanced compositions. Proyectos Monclova pays tribute to Felguérez’s daring creativity and commemorates his legacy, which surpasses national boundaries.
Lawrie Shabibi: Nabil Nahas - Dubai
Lawrie Shabibi displayed three monumental panels by Nabil Nahas, which were on long-term loan to the Yale Chemistry Department from 1973, while Nahas was completing his MFA at Yale. Previously seen only at Yale, this marks the first occasion these important works will be exhibited to a wider audience. They represent Nahas’ phase of geometric abstraction, which continued into the early 1980s, highlighting the scale and ambition of his early career. These pieces predate by four years those presented at his first solo exhibition at Robert Miller in 1978. Alongside two striking abstract paintings from the same year and series as one currently exhibited at Tate Modern, the works reflect both Al Held's influence and the brutalist design of Paul Rudolph's Yale School of Architecture. Furthermore, they illustrate how Nahas evolved as a student, moving past the relative clarity of earlier artists to engage with the intricacies of Islamic geometry.
