Frieze and Frieze Masters highlights

I’m writing this as fast as I can — I had planned to do it over the weekend, but Frieze Week got me down with the flu. Yes, that’s how crazy this week can get (haha). Anyway, below are my highlights from Frieze (contemporary art) and Frieze Masters (historical art, with some exceptions — for instance, this year the Swiss artist Nicolas Party curated a corner at Hauser & Wirth’s stand at Masters, featuring one of his own works alongside pieces by artists who have inspired or influenced him).

I would say this year was more about the quality of a few booths than spectacles on every corner. I also didn’t particularly like the new layout, but I suppose it’s fair to the galleries to switch things up.

My favourite stand was probably Pace Gallery, which presented works by William Monk in a beautifully curated manner. The layout of the booth drew visitors in with a large-scale work, and once inside, the walls were filled with smaller pieces inspired by the architecture of the Neuendorf Villa in Mallorca, where the artist did a residency earlier this year.

At Frieze Masters, as always, there were plenty of gems — though again, it was more about quality over quantity. My favourite booth was Ben Brown Fine Arts, which showcased Les Lalanne in a stunning, site-specific installation featuring François-Xavier Lalanne’s iconic Moutons sculptures — life-sized sheep — alongside works by Claude Lalanne, including her Entrelacs and Ginkgo furniture and Miroirs.