Frieze London 2022
Frieze Seoul was so impressive that I decided to attend Frieze London 2022, held in London the following month. Since three doses of the COVID vaccine made entry into Europe fairly easy, I splurged on the pricier flights and local hotel and made the trip.
I entered the venue twice: on the VIP Preview day and on the final day of the public run.
On the first day, I was able to meet up with art professionals residing locally and with Atsushi Kaga — an artist and one of the Frieze London exhibitors — to see the fair together.
Frieze Sculpture 2022
Since I had about an hour to spare before the VIP Preview opened, I went to see Frieze Sculpture.
It occupies a corner of Regent’s Park adjacent to the Frieze London venue and was very easy to access, and the exhibition was truly outstanding.
Frieze London runs for less than a week, but Frieze Sculpture is on for a much longer period, and I got to see a wide range of large-scale sculptural works that made full use of the vast, verdant park.
Frieze London 2022
I visited Frieze London twice — on the VIP Preview and on the final day.
The crowds inside on the first day were overwhelming.
There was a long line even at entry, and the fair was hugely popular. Almost no one was wearing a mask — everything felt like business as usual.
Moreover, rather than carefully examining each work to consider collecting it, the atmosphere felt more like a high-society social gathering. It was quite different from Asian art fairs.
The final day was crowded in its own way.
I saw visitors pushing strollers — something I hadn’t seen on day one — giving the impression that the fair is truly rooted in everyday life.
Frieze Masters 2022
About a 20-minute walk from the Frieze London venue was another fair, “Frieze Masters.”
It presented and sold works ranging from antiques and Old Masters to dinosaur fossils.
Unlike Frieze Seoul, this didn’t feel like an atmosphere where people were actively buying art.
Overview
Frieze London 2022
Venue: Regent’s Park (London)
Dates: October 12–16, 2022
