Who's buying? Billionaires and museums looking to bolster their collections. So not quite describing me, but I was excited to go see something I wouldn't normally go to (thanks to my relatives at Canada Gallery!). Aparently most of the actual sales are made earlier in the week, and by the time the weekend rolls around the high-rollers are gone, and the visitors who are just-here-to-look move in.
Who's there? Different galleries get booths and show off their latest acquisitions. If you love the Saatchi Gallery, Tate Modern, MOMA in New York, etc., this is exactly your cup of tea. This isn't your Jackson Pollacks or Manets- although some big acts that I had actually heard of (like Tracey Emin, winner of the Turner Prize) were there.
Ready-made seemed to be one of the by-words of the day. I guess this has been popular ever since Marcel Duchamp famously exhibited a urinal with his signature on it. The most ridiculous over-the-top example was the artist Christian Jankowski who bought it a boat for £60m, but is selling it as art for £75m. I wonder if it was sold?
Random Neon Words seemed to be a big theme for a lot of galleries. Most were boring with purposely shallow sayings on them, but this I really loved these photos of neon. The one below is by Jung Lee, and seems very lonely to me. I guess the weirdness of neon in a desert landscape is an interesting, sad juxtaposition. If I was a millionaire, this is what I would have taken home with me:
These laughing, falling-over bronze birds were another favourite (although sadly I didn't get the artist's name):
Want to visit yourself? If they haven't run out, tickets are £27 at the gate.
Freize dates
11–14 October 2012
17–20 October 2013
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