Frieze New York will return to Randall’s Island this year, with more than 190 of the world’s leading contemporary galleries presenting in the fourth edition of the fair. From May 14 to 17, the public can peruse the vast array of works from participating galleries including Acquavella (New York); Blum & Poe (New York/Los Angeles), Clearing (New York/Brussels), JTT (New York), Matthew Marks Gallery (New York); McKee Gallery (New York); Pace (New York) and Skarstedt (New York).
Frieze brings together the old and the new, highlighting contemporary artists alongside masters of art history. As the city’s ultimate art fair, Frieze has been embraced by New York as one of the favorite annual pilgrimages among the cognoscenti. Set apart from the constant commotion that capitalism provokes and promotes, the Randall’s Island location creates a serene and contemplative environment for the experience of art.
The art fair promises to be fruitful, with its brilliantly curated selection of presentations, programs, and projects, making a day trip to the island something of an adventure into another world. Serious buyers are encouraged to arrive early, with a strong game plan to hit the key galleries. For the casual visitor, attractions abound, from a personality-test maze by Aki Sasamoto to avant-garde massage chairs by Korakrit Arunanondchai.
This year sees the introduction of Spotlight, a new gallery section for solo presentations of 20th-century art, which will take place alongside the existing Frame and Focus sections. Advised by curator Adriano Pedrosa, Spotlight explores unexpected positions from established artists, presenting new research into art from emerging territories, as well as significant work from overlooked artists.
The Frieze Projects program at Frieze New York is curated by Cecilia Alemani and will feature six new artworks, inside, outside and even underneath the fair on Randall’s Island. In addition to the works by Sasamoto and Arunanondchai, the program will also feature a special tribute to the Flux-Labyrinth, an installation conceived in Berlin in 1976 by George Maciunas, in collaboration with other Fluxus artists.
Not to be missed are the Frieze Talks 2015, access to which are included in all admission tickets. Programmed by Tom Eccles (Executive Director, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College) and Christy Lange (Associate Editor, frieze), this year’s participants include Paul McCarthy (artist), Thelma Golden (Director and Chief Curator, Studio Museum in Harlem, New York) and Jerry Saltz (Critic, New York Magazine), amongst many others. Saltz has made a name for himself as a provocateur, having been temporarily suspended from Facebook for posting nudes earlier this year.
Tickets to Frieze New York are on sale at friezenewyork.com.
