Acquisitions

WAG on the Road: An art fair that’s a trusted arbiter of what is provocative & wonderful

There’s something peculiar about the genre of art that renders it impossible to predict its trajectory, development and future.

In science, for example, there’s often a clear path that forges forward — technology for the most part being the sole element that hinders its progress.

In art — if we can think of it today — it can be executed today. It isn’t progress. It’s a reflection of our collective curiosities.

And that’s what makes gatherings such as the Frieze Art Fair fascinating despite the fact that it’s a yearly occurrence. The fair’s focus on contemporary art and living artists offers a snapshot — think of it as a slice of life — that measures the temperature of the creative community’s zeitgeist.

The Frieze Art Fair gained initial support thanks to Frieze Magazine, a publication that predated the actual event. Frieze has always been known as an erudite, trusted arbiter of what is new, wonderful and emerging. The fair, in turn, has amplified this voice and is now a whole entity unto itself — with much deserved merit.

Under the new directorship of Victoria Siddall and her crack team, Frieze New York has never been so engaging. From the public engagement (Pia Camil, Jonathan Horowitz and more) to the prevalence of solo artist and curator led booths (both of which will be discussed in Lea Weingarten‘s upcoming feature on CultureMap), Frieze NY 2015 was alive, successful and positively provocative.

In every fair there is a range of really good art and really bad art. This is the best quality Frieze NY Fair ever.

Why? Looking at the overall spectrum, the whole bar has been raised. The good was really good — from established artists to the wunderkind of the art world — and the bad, let’s just say that it was not quite as bad.

But, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. We invite you to browse our gallery of images from the fair below: