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Review Oct 16 2008 « | »
Frieze Art Fair 'People are talking about the financial markets,' says one collector in the hailstorm of art market gossip articles from......

Donald Eastwood

'People are talking about the financial markets,' says one collector in the hailstorm of art market gossip articles from yesterday's VIP and press day at London's most important contemporary art event of the year. The general assessment is that 'the worst financial crisis since 1929' has slowed the usually frantic VIP only morning down, but sales are still pressing on with teeth-clenching optimism.

The big galleries there, Gagosian, White Cube, Lisson etc were all selling as well as always, according to other gosssip sources. Various writers attribute this to a retained strenght at the top and bottom of the market, but a falling away in the middle. All interesting speculation, but in the choice idiom of the autumn, it is still too early to tell.

Far more interesting comment on the money and art, written as it is from an artist's perspective rather than a buyer's point of view, can be found here.

It has always been a strange event in that respect, however. Far more about the people, the market and the hob-nobbing than the art. The art itself is sometimes irritatingly safe. Its worth reading Oliver Marre's piece here - not for more dull gossip and celebrity spotting but for the his last paragraph on the disclaimer obliged to Norma Jeane's 'The Straight Story', which as he rightly pointed out, was very busy. At one point a trolley carrying chilled champagne to stall holders passed and drew equal attention.

It is a great chance to see the work of most of the most celebrated artists of our times in one place, of course, and the schedule of talks, which you can find here, looks very interesting - Jennifer Allen's discussion on temporality in art exhibitions in particular. Have a look at the mesmerizingly beautiful Petroc Sesti glass ball at E14 as well, before you feel the inevitable buckling in the face of the shear scale of the thing.

Frieze Art Fair is open to the public from 11am-7pm , 16-19 October. Get tickets from this site.

Above image Siobhán Hapaska, "Pause" (2008). Available at the Kerlin Gallery booth.

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