Frieze Masters has a smaller, quieter, less fashion-conscious crowd than its big sister on the other side of Regent's Park – but it is no less an eye-popping experience. For what you lose in bombast, this fair makes up for in its pirate’s hoard of riches.
It is a vast cornucopia spanning the globe and the ages with, this year, more ancient and world art than ever before. Where else could you pick up in a single sweep a near-perfect white Cycladic marble figurine dating to the fifth millennium BC (David Ghezelbash), a fantastic pair of De Stijl stained glass windows (Ulrich Fiedler), a museum-worthy room full of Ben Nicholsons (Richard Green), and a charming set of 19th century crayon drawings made on ledger book paper by American Indian warriors (Donald Ellis)?
'Work-B-62', by Takesada Matsutani, 1962, at Hauser & Wirth
The most rewarding section of the fair by far is the Spotlight area, where 21 galleries have boldly decided to focus on the career of a single artist. On the whole they are lesser-known artists from the 1950s to the 70s, including fascinating French feminist-cocoonist Francoise Janicot (Espaivisor) and Hungarian conceptualist Dóra Maurer (Vintage).
The quality of these stands is excellent, and the gallerists generally delighted to talk you through the artists’ work and stories. Don’t miss playing with the 'kinetic' paintings of Sérvulo Esmeraldo at Sicardi – who knew you could draw childish delight from such elegant minimalism?
But of course, there's plenty more action to be found around London during Frieze, if you find the need to escape the teeming crowds at Regent's Park.
Alternative fairs to remember
This year there is, as ever, up-to-the minute design inspiration at PAD, and affordable art alternatives at the Truman Brewery in Shoreditch (The Other Art Fair, Moniker Art Fair). For my money the best of all satellite fairs is 1:54 at Somerset House, a manageably sized selection of international galleries from Paris to Cairo to Nairobi, all specialists in contemporary African art. The quality is generally high, the aesthetic invigoratingly new, and often challenging therefore. This is where curators are eyeing up talent of tomorrow.
’Nuit de Noël’, by Malick Sidibé, 1963, at 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair
The vibe is great too – you stand a good chance of getting locked into a conversation with dealers and artists keen to introduce anyone and everyone to an artistic language still relatively new here. Don’t miss: a really striking pair of warrior portraits with a contemporary twist by Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga (October Gallery), and the Arab Spring sketchbooks of Ibrahim El Selahi, who had a Tate show in 2013.
Scupture has a moment at satellite exhibitions
Giants of contemporary sculpture are having a showdown around London this year, with fantastic solo exhibitions from Antony Gormley at the White Cube to Tony Cragg at the Lisson Gallery. If you only see one show make it the Richard Serra at the Gagosian – three space-altering, mind-bending (one of them is literally like a riddle in space) new works from the master of metal. No need to rush to the Frieze Sculpture Park because it’s extending opening time until January.
Here, modernist furniture is teamed with works by Italian Old Masters and a range of contemporary paintings and sculptures. Courtesy of Hauser & Wirth
Laplace has created a conceptual domestic environment, while Hauser & Wirth and Moretti Fine Art have provided wrks by the likes of Alexander Calder, Cy Twombly, Egon Schiele, Pietro Novelli and Taddeo Gaddi. Courtesy of Hauser & Wirth
Installation view at the Mnuchin Gallery stand. Pictured, from left: Jackie, by Andy Warhol, 1964; Yellow Nunn, by John Chamberlain, 1975; Untitled XII, by Willem de Kooning, 1986; Untitled S. 080 (Hanging Five-Lobed Continuous Form Within a Form, by Ruth Asawa, circa 1950. Courtesy of Mnuchin Gallery
Untitled, by Sam Francis, 1958, on show at the Mnuchin Gallery booth. Courtesy of Mnuchin Gallery
Dominique Lévy, Marianne Boesky Gallery and Sprüth Magers teamed up to present a Frieze Masters booth of works by Frank Stella. Pictured: Requiem for Johnny Stompanato, 1958. Courtesy of the artist, Marianne Boesky Gallery, Dominique Lévy, and Sprüth Magers. © 2016 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Delta, by Frank Stella, 1958. Courtesy of the artist, Marianne Boesky Gallery, Dominique Lévy, and Sprüth Magers. © 2016 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Exhibiting for the fifth time at Frieze Masters, Prahlad Bubbar Gallery included two important sideboards designed by German architect Eckart Muthesius in its presentation. Courtesy of Prahlad Bubbar Gallery
These pieces originally occupied the banquet hall of the modernist Manik Bagh Palace, builtby Muthesius in the 1930s for this young patron, the Maharaja of Indore. Courtesy of Prahlad Bubbar Gallery
Pace’s Frieze Masters presentation featured a selection of works spanning the career of Lucas Samaras, that includes paintings, sculptures and Polaroid photographs. Courtesy of Pace Gallery
Installation view of Samaras’ work at the Pace booth. Courtesy of Pace Gallery
Together with partner gallery Colnaghi Old Masters, Bernheimer Fine Art Photography exhibited works by artists Horst P Horst (pictured), Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, and Gunter Sachs. Courtesy of Horst Estate and Condé Nast
Horst offers a glimpse into the Roman home of American painter, sculptor and photographer Cy Twombly, originally captured for Vogue in 1966. Courtesy of Horst Estate and Condé Nast
Elsewhere around London, Luxembourg & Dayan is presenting the first major UK exhibition of Italian artist Rodolfo Aricò (1930 –2002) at its Savile Row gallery, with a focus on his works from the 1960s and 1970s. Courtesy of Luxembourg & Dayan
Assonometria, by Rodolfo Aricò, 1968. Courtesy of Luxembourg & Dayan
Over at The Other Art Fair at the Old Truman Brewery, the spotlight was on emerging artistic talent, including Carolina Mizrahi. Pictured: Eve Collection, 2016
Cai, by Carolina Mizrahi, 2016, at The Other Art Fair
Frieden, by Gina Soden, 2014, at The Other Art Fair
Move, by Tracey Emin, 2016, at The Other Art Fair
Coinciding with its presentation at Frieze Masters, The Gallery of Everything opened its first permanent space, opposite the Chiltern Firehouse. Courtesy of The Gallery of Everything
Formerly a barber shop, the interior has been remastered by Bafta award-winning set designer Eve Stewart with founder James Brett. Courtesy of The Gallery of Everything
INFORMATION
Frieze Masters runs from 6 until 9 October 2016. For more information, visit the Frieze website
ADDRESS
Regent's Park
London NW1 4HG
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