Some dating wisdom has it that the third date is make or break, the one when you decide whether or not to move forward. This is the third year of the Frieze New York art fair, and I’m just not sure I see us having a future together.
The quintessential Frieze New York booth: oversized sculpture and mirror art!
Last year I was charmed by the performances and booze, but this year the booths at Frieze feel stale. It’s a fair, so that’s not really a problem — shiny work, as well as purposefully ugly and purposefully weird work abounds, and collectors will buy much of it — but for those holding out hope for a flash of experience, an artwork that will stop you in your tracks … don’t. The tent still feels airy and looks nice. The food is still delicious and overpriced. Randall’s Island is still a lovely place to visit, even in the rain. Yet Gagosian Gallery still shows Ed Ruscha. David Zwirner brought Yayoi Kusama. Andrea Rosen Gallery set up a small, completely uninspired Ryan Trecartin installation, and White Cube has a new diorama featuring crucified Ronald McDonalds by Jake and Dinos Chapman. Frieze New York feels nothing if not rehearsed. And why not? Art fairs basically happen year-round at this point. Dealers know what works. Little effort required. Sucks for the rest of us.
For the complete article by Jillian Steinhauer please visit Hyperallergic.com