Frieze Art Fair London 2016; can’t understand normal things

Frieze Art Fair London closed for public this Sunday, on 9th of October, however, thanks to Kingston University, I was lucky enough to get that limited ticket for the fair, where today’s most wanted and innovative artists presented their work. For this long awaited fair, organizers receive around 500 applications each year, from galleries fighting for their place to get the opportunity to showcase their artworks. The fair took place at a pretty symbolic location in London, Regent’s park and the main moods of this year were:

1.) Focus; section for up-coming artists 

2.) The Nineties; section from 1990 that influenced contemporary art nowadays 

3.) Live; section based on experimental art

(Frieze.com, 2016)

Art fairs like this make you question many matters and so were debating main speakers (Julia Peyton- Jones, Wolfgang Tillmans, Jane & Louise Wilson, Adrian Searle) of that day, at Frienze Talks. Aforementioned compared art exhibitions in today’s world with the one in early 90’s.

Firstly, according to speakers, the ideas in early 90’s were generally more liberated. At that time most of the artists run their own spaces; studios and attracted mostly people from their community. Therefore, every artist built their own audience within that community, whereas nowadays art spaces are rare, very hard to run, unless the artist is well known with a large budget. In terms of audience, nowadays an artwork has more than just one specific audience, as today the same art exhibition is presented on either side of the Atlantic. The audience of the certain artwork is, therefore, not based anymore only in one town or one country, but it is spread all around the globe, whether this would be London, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo or Milan. As a result, the art exhibitions does not visualize that uniqueness anymore, neither are purely focused on the one certain market. Being said that, contemporary art market was probably born from that idea, where the artwork is not separate anymore by certain country or continent, but it is considered as a united, global movement.  If we take for consideration contemporary market was not really exist in 1990 to extant that is today. It is believed that education, which is strongly connected with the contemporary art, also contributed to that kind of a mindset. However, under these circumstances, the art exhibitions today are more expectable, rather than being full of the unexpected motives. 

Secondly, nowadays artists do private views, they act in a way a bit more professional, as it is way harder to get personally in touch with them in comparison with early 90s. Each artist in the 21st century has their own PR team that are focused on consumers, preferably V.I.P consumers, rather than on the population within their own community, as it was before 10 years. In contrast, to approach an artist in early 1990 did not represent an obstacle, as it seems to be the case today.

In general, the biggest change in that approach plays rise of social media, that changed the way we communicate today. There are also new ideas occurring on a daily basis, therefore, it appears that as a consequence the whole art industry is focused on how to sell something quickly. It feels that this situation reflects our society, which is down to materiality. The artists somehow do not fully express their ideas, as the market and industry is forcing them to quickly convert ideas (art) into the sale. What follows is, that artists are generally not interested into producing something that does not sell. Today’s artists are more focus on how to gain the buyers, rather than an audience. That kind of approach could be called ‘trade-make’ type of a work. 

To conclude, by comparing exhibitions today and in the 90s, they were more rare, still more meaningful by illustrating deeper questions whether this was political situation, work-wise matter or social status of the community.   

Take a look of the gallery below presenting the art pieces that grab my attention the most.

Be yourself + just be better every day artwork summed up our culture in the right way

What is our “selfie generation” contributing to the world? Where is this taking us?

Pink is back! Embrace the pinkness in you

  This year neon sign were covering big part of the fair, combining different shapes and quotes

Because your heart will go on

Reflection, metallic shades, transparency and unusual shapes

Deer on a way 

Why is it bothering you?

  J is for Janja

There will always be black and white side

Art with tradition

World on the carpet

Butterfly art

What is your idea of the light?

4D experience?

 Questioning perception & gravity

Thank you for reading this. New articles are waiting for being published, so see you soon!:)