What to Expect at Frieze New York
Each spring, New York’s artistic center shifts north, from Chelsea to Randall’s Island, across the Harlem River between Manhattan and the Bronx. Why the migration? Frieze New York, the annual art fair that gathers work from more than 1,000 leading contemporary artists from around the world. Modeled after London’s original art fair held in Regent Park, Frieze came to New York City in 2008, making a splash with talks from speakers like Carsten Holler, Yoko Ono, and Cosey Fanni Tutti. Here’s what to expect from Frieze New York in 2019 (held from May 2nd to 5th).
What to See at Frieze New York
A lot of multimedia
This isn’t a mere collection of paintings. Frieze New York showcases video, audio and performance art, often mixed and matched and fused in unexpected ways.
A tribute to one of New York’s most pioneering gallerists
Frieze will debut a section devoted to Just Above Midtown gallery founder Linda Goode Bryant. Bryant formed the non-profit artists’ space in the early ’70s on 57th Street. It was the first gallery in New York City to exhibit works from artists of color in a major gallery district. A decade later, the gallery closed, but not before permanently altering the city’s arts landscape. Now, Frieze is honoring Bryant’s contributions by showcasing artists her gallery helped champion, including Norman Lewis, Lorraine O’Grady, and Ming Smith.
Art that redefines (virtual) reality from the likes of Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor joins other artists such as Rachel Rossin, Timur Si-Qin, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg in a new VR section at Frieze, curated by Acute Art director Daniel Birnbaum. See the future of art inside Frieze’s “Electric” booth.
Native American art
NYC’s Nicelle Beauchene Gallery presents Sometimes Dreams are Wiser Than Waking, a collection of works by Native American artists from across the plains. Using graphite, colored pencil, and ink on ledger book pages, these pieces document cultural traditions and everyday life.
A spotlight on Drawing
This year, Laura Hoptman of The Drawing Center is serving as the curatorial advisor for the Spotlight section, which features 33 galleries presenting works by overlooked artists and modern masters. The show emphasizes the “radical potential of drawing,” and showcases techniques popularized during The Renaissance, as well as architectural elements from Turkish artist Susan Hefuna.
Really good food
With food from New York icons like Roberta’s pizza, Frankies Spuntino, Marlow & Sons, Russ & Daughters and Sant Ambroeus, Frieze has some serious lunch options. The restaurant vendor list is so good that you may spend more time eating than looking at the art.
For more information, visit the Frieze New York website. Photo courtesy of @friezeartfair.
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