There has always been something special about Frieze New York. Over the years, the experience of actually attending the fair has evolved. What was once a slightly arduous (but still fun) experience of trekking to Randall’s Island has now become a much more streamlined and easy-to-attend event in a more compact setting at The Shed. While the fair’s physical footprint might be smaller, this relatively new venue for the fair offers many more opportunities to connect beyond the fair walls in its prime Chelsea location.
The preview of Frieze New York on Wednesday was buzzy with crowded booths and hallways, a testament to Christine Messineo, Frieze’s Director of Americas, and her leadership. Solo booths, two-person presentations, or collections of recent of historic works at all differently scaled galleries make the experience of navigating the fair engaging across the various floors.
Below, we’ve pulled together a selection of some of our favorite booths at Frieze New York you should be sure not to miss at this year’s edition (open now through May 5).
Alex Katz at Gladstone Gallery
Installation view, Gladstone Gallery at Frieze New York, 2024. Courtesy of Gladstone Gallery. Photography by David Regen.
Alex Katz is relentless in his constantly evolving practice and approach to painting. Two years after a knock-out retrospective at the Guggenheim, he continues to provide his viewers with new ways of understanding his work and process. This energy is particularly palatable at Gladstone’s solo presentation of new works by Katz. Differently scaled paintings portray the artist’s exploration of trying to capture and memorialize an afterimage through the permanence of oil paint. The piercing orange-red (and one electric green) compositions began with Matisse’s “Red Studio” from 1911, which the artist says gave him the initial inspiration to try and solidify this unusual optical phenomenon. It would be impossible to avoid the booth, but it’s definitely worth spending some time examining these vibrant compositions.
Feliciano Centurión at Ortuzar Projects
Feliciano Centurión, installation views, Frieze New York, May 1-5, 2024, Ortuzar Projects, New York, photo by Steven Probert, courtesy of Ortuzar Projects, New York.
A powerful collection of textile works by Feliciano Centurión, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1996 at age 34, is on view at Ortuzar Projects. After moving from San Ignacio, Paraguay to Argentina in 1980, Centurión developed his singular approach to working with textiles and blankets to create poignant compositions brimming with symbolism and complexity. The booth includes some larger quilted works, as well as a few smaller works; after being diagnosed with HIV/AIDs in 1992, the artist began working on a smaller scale and the subjects he depicted evolved as well. Each work is hung with such care, and the environment of the presentation allows a bit of respite and a moment of reflection amidst a backdrop of fast-paced fair activity.
Stanley Stellar at Kapp Kapp
Stanley Stellar, “Flip,” 1979, archival pigment print, 20 x 16 inches, courtesy of Kapp Kapp.
A stand-out in the Focus section of the fair is Kapp Kapp’s presentation of works by Stanley Stellar. A relatively young gallery that works with an incredible group of artists, Kapp Kapp offers a singular platform and space for historically underrepresented voices through their exhibition program and scholarship through the incredible leadership of co-founders Sam and Daniel Kapp. Showing a selection of photographs from Stellar’s iconic Piers series, the works on view demonstrate the artist’s incredible access and connection to a pre-AIDS world and mecca for queer exploration at the now demolished west side piers in New York. Sensual, documentary, and voyeuristic, these works are a testament to Stellar’s enduring and significant place within the canon of queer art history.
Nate Lowman and Franz West at David Zwirner
Two-artist presentation of Nate Lowman and Franz West at David Zwirner’s booth at Frieze New York, 2024. courtesy Nate Lowman, Archiv Franz West, Estate Franz West, and David Zwirner.
A delightful presentation of works by Nate Lowman and sculptures and furniture by Franz West are on view at David Zwirner’s booth. Lowman, known for his poignant exploration of mass-produced images borne from history and media, has a wonderful mix of works that demonstrate the boundary-pushing complexity of his ever-evolving process as an artist. This ingenuity of his work is shown alongside an exquisite sampling of West’s oeuvre. Playfulness, vibrancy, curiosity, humor, and seriousness blend throughout this thoughtfully presented installation. And for fans of Lowman’s work: there is a new woodcut by Nate Lowman published by Utopia Editions that launched on David Zwirner Online in alignment with the fair, and the artist will have a solo presentation of new work at David Zwirner’s Los Angeles galleries in September.
Ingenious Artist Pairings at White Cube
Ed Clark, “Ying and Yang,” 1989, acrylic on canvas, 54 1/4 x 66 inches, © the artist, photo © On White Wall, courtesy White Cube.
White Cube is presenting a collection of works by a wide range of artists, including Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Etel Adnan, Darren Almond, Georg Baselitz, Ed Clark, Lynne Drexler, Tracey Emin, Cerith Wyn Evans, Theaster Gates, Antony Gormley, Al Held, Richard Hunt, Ibrahim Mahama, Tiona Nekkia McClodden, Sarah Morris, Gabriel Orozco, Virginia Overton, Jessica Rankin, Doris Salcedo, Ilana Savdie, Park Seo-Bo, Takis, Jeff Wall, and Leon Wuidar. The gallery, which recently opened its flagship New York space led by senior director Courtney Willis Blair, is having an absolutely incredible year, putting on some of the most inspired shows in New York. The Frieze presentation proposes some ingenious artist pairings that tackle themes of intergenerational connectivity, the body, and materiality, so it’s worth spending some time in their booth to see some of these throughlines in situ.
Gem-Like Works at Michael Werner at Frieze New York
Florian Krewer, “stronger love”, 2024, oil on linen, 118 1/4 x 108 1/4 inches,
© Florian Krewer, courtesy of Michael Werner.
Another veteran gallery with an exceptional program, Michael Werner, has a stellar presentation of works by Hurvin Anderson, James Lee Byars, Aaron Curry, Enrico David, Jörg Immendorff, Sanya Kantarovsky, Per Kirkeby, Florian Krewer, Seung-taek Lee, Eugène Leroy, Markus Lüpertz, Maki Na Kamura, A.R. Penck, Francis Picabia, Sigmar Polke, Andy Robert, Peter Saul, Raphaela Simon, Don Van Vliet, and Issy Wood. Demonstrating the depth of the gallery’s program, specifically as it relates to their notably stewardship of some of the most impressive painters working today, the booth is filled with remarkable, gem-like works to spend time examining.
