- Entrance Frieze Art Fair // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
Like every year, Frieze Art Fair took place in an oversized white tent at Regent’s Park in the centre of London. It was the ninth annual art fair, which was celebrated with a lot of neon colours, neon text objects and animal power – dead and alive. Together with Julia Schmitz from the KUNST Magazin and Teresa Köster from Cuturepolitans we took a walk over the famous Art Fair.
Julia Schmitz von KUNSTMAGAZIN // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
Many boxes looked similiar to last year – the same artworks which nobody was able to afford or perhaps nobody likes. This year we didn’t see many videos, kinetic sculptures or installations. We saw an obvious lack of conceptual art, however there were many interesting paintings and sculptures present, perhaps because they are sold more easily in financially hard times of global economic crisis.
Walkways on Frieze 2011 // Less crowded // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
The walkways between the stalls were less crowded than in previous years and there was no never-ending queue at the entrance; perhaps because Frieze raised the entrance fee this year by more than 100 percent.
Which galleries from Berlin were showing on Frieze 2011?
Jay Chung & Q Takeki Maeda // Toter Winkle // 2009 // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
Bortolozzi Berlin had a stall together with Cabinet London showing four old fashioned wood vitrines by Jay Chung & Q Takeki Maeda in each corner, which fitted suitably with some interesting wood pieces from Lutz Bacher (Cabinet London). The booth of Contemporary Fine Art Berlin looked very similar compared to last year. They were showing drawings by Raymond Pettibon, eccentric (expensive) sofas by Anselm Reyle, one painting by Chris Ofili, a huge object by Max Frisinger, sculpture and caviar paintings by Georg Herold. The Johnen Galerie offered among others, a piece of Olaf Holzapfel and photographs by Anri Sala. At the big gallery stand of Giti Nourbakhsch you saw pieces by Berta Fischer, one painting by Corinne Wasmuth, a neon text piece by Karl Holmquist, the small „chaise“ of Vincent Tavenne and a bigger Installation by Vlassis Caniaris with the title „Child’s room, 1974“.
Karl Holmquist // Who run this mother? // Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch Berlin // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
Dan Colen // 53rd & 3rd //2008 // PERES Projects Berlin // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
The Kreuzberg based gallery PERES Projects gave space for soft neon paintings to ALEX Israel and a big painting made of chewing gum by Dan Colen. Galerija Gregor Podnar showed two paperworks by Tobias Putrih, which were seen at Berlin Gallery Weekend in April this year. You could dicover an etching by Michael Wutz and an mysterious painting by Tom Chamberlain at the stand from Aurel Scheibler.
Galerie Barbara Weiss // Ayse Erkmen // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
At the stand of Sprüth Magers one could find the big names. They were showing amazing pieces by Cindy Sherman, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Scheibitz, Thomas Demand, Rosemarie Trockel, Fischli und Weiss. I really liked Eyse Erkmen’s piece „All Together“ in the space of Galerie Barbara Weiss.
Carsten Nicolai at Galerie EIGEN+ART // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
Galerie EIGEN+ART showed pieces of Martin Eder, Tim Eitel and Matthias Weischer in one half of the stand and the other half was completely reserved for the Chemnitz born artist Carsten Nicolai, who, compared to the other named artists, showed a different style of photography, glass sculptures and drawings. At Johann König Berlin you could see the Solo show of Jordan Wolfson most recent video project “Animation, masks”, which was kind of funny.
Galerie Johann König // Jordan Wolfson // Animation, masks // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
Frieze Project // Christian Jankowski // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
At the end of the day one could have explored many big names at this year’s Frieze, but the most spectacular pieces were seen at the Frieze Projects: Christian Jankowski showed a 70 000 pound Yacht, Bik von der Pol showed a huge evolving wall and all over the art fair one found satirical signs of Laure Prouvost. My personal favourite for this year was Miriam Chan with her strange looking human paintings. Because there were more than 173 galleries from 33 different countries, it was not possible to see everything in Frieze Art Fair in one day; apologies.
Frieze Project // Bik van der Pol // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
Detail from a painting by Miriam Cahn // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
Fireze Project // Laure Provost // Ideally... // Foto: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
You can see all the pictures I made and the appropriate small descriptions HERE. Best wishes from London, see you in Berlin, Solveig 
