After being canceled for the first time in seventeen years since its inception due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the London Frieze week took place both online and off âto show the best of the best during these times.â Farah Nayeri of The New York Times reported that the Frieze Week 2020 had been a âpredominantly local affair,â but that hadnât stopped the worldâs âleading galleriesâ like Hauser & Wirth from participating. According to co-founder and president of the gallery, Iwan Wirth, American artist Rashid Johnsonâs exhibition Waves was showcased during the week because it was âthe only optionâ they had âduring these times.â

Visitors at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Copyright image by 1-54 via The National News
While there were no Frieze Tents this year, Frieze London and Frieze Masters went online with 250 galleries paid to get on the fairâs digital viewing platform, explained Victoria Siddall, the global director of Frieze Fairs. However, Nayeri reported that only two parts of the program could be experienced in personâ A sculpture show in Regentâs Park, a series of live-streamed performances staged in the Mayfair space.

Rashid Johnson’s “The Broken Five” for Hauser & Wirth’s exhibition, “Waves.” Copyright image by Martin Parsekian for The New York Times
Lanre Bakare of The Guardian reported that the only âmajor fairâ of the London Frieze Week took place at Somerset House called the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. 1-54âs founding director, Touria El Glaoui, said that she had seen a âgrowing demand for tickets to the 1-54â because there was âstrong enthusiasmâ in people to go and see art in person. 1-54 took visitors at appointed time slots and followed a âstrict one-way system around the building,â reported Bakare. While earlier the fair had been in the âperipheryâ of Frieze Week, this year, it was brought âfront-and-centerâ to offer people a way to see new art in person alongside showcasing black artists.

2019’s “Saint Madiba” by British-Ghanaian artist Godfried Donkor, on sale at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair by Gallery 1957. Copyright image by 1-54 via The National News
Melissa Gronlund of The National News reported that the event this year was called âAlmost Frieze.â While organizers were initially worried about âonline viewing room fatigueâ and how the event will yield results for the market, the feedback was positive. Hauser & Wirth sold a Mark Bradford painting for âŹ2.9 million ($3.5 million); New York-based Lehmann Maupin sold a painting by Mandy El- Sayegh in the price range of ÂŁ20,000-50,000 ($23,670-$59,175); and London based Lisson sold four diptychs by Laure Prouvost at âŹ35,000 each ($41,300).

Paintings by Mandy El-Sayegh at Ely House, London. Copyright image by Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac via The New York Times
However, according to Nayeri of The New York Times, âeveryone has taken a hitâ in financial terms. Wirth further explained that the âlogistical complexitiesâ of shipping art during the Coronavirus had had âan enormous impact on sales.â
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