Frieze art fair is now a global behemoth, with fairs in New York, Los Angeles and Seoul, and recent takeovers of another New York event, the Armory Show, and Expo Chicago. But on its 20th anniversary the fair – called Frieze London since its sibling Frieze Masters arrived in 2012 – is reassuringly similar to that first edition in 2003.
Of course, there have been tweaks, and thankfully the diversity of artists and galleries represented is infinitely richer than it was back then. But Frieze effectively got the practical basics of the fair right first time. This year, as last year, painting again feels especially abundant — it’s the safest bet for galleries in difficult economic moments. There’s also a conspicuous absence of some of the bright and/or showstopping sculpture and installations that have punctuated Frieze in the past (see last year’s Anthea Hamilton pumpkins, or Pierre Huyghe’s hermit crab in 2011).
