Major art fairs in New York, Busan, and Hong Kong launched their first physical editions since the outbreak of the pandemic, implementing parallel online programs and alternative on-site staffing plans to maximize participants and audiences in spite of ongoing travel restrictions.
NEW YORK
Frieze New York (May 6–9) relocated from its longtime venue at Randall’s Island Park to Hudson Yards art center The Shed for its tenth edition. The first in-person fair in the United States this year featured a whittled-down roster of 64 exhibitors on site, although an accompanying online platform showed around 160 international galleries.
The physical fair featured mainly US-based galleries, with the usual blue-chip mega-galleries securing strong sales. David Zwirner (New York/London/Hong Kong/Paris) sold out its solo booth of (1984) and George Condo’s USD 800,000 mixed-media-on-paper (2021). Hernan Bas’s (2021), a six-panel painted folding screen, was purchased by a European collector at Lehmann Maupin (New York/London/Hong Kong/Seoul) for an undisclosed price between USD 350,000–400,000. Perrotin (New York/Paris/Hong Kong/Seoul/Tokyo/Shanghai) moved a large glass sculpture by Jean-Michel Othoniel for USD 235,000 and a new composition from Lee Bae’s iconic charcoal series for USD 86,000. Tina Kim Gallery (New York) fared well with offerings by Dansaekhwa luminaries Ha Chong-Hyun and Park Seo-Bo, selling two large canvases by the former and an work by the latter for USD 200,000–300,000 each. Tina Kim also transacted three of Suki Seokyeong Kang’s sculptural assemblages, each priced between USD 25,000–50,000, and a USD 45,000 Ghada Amer drawing. At Sean Kelly Gallery (New York), Shahzia Sikander’s two-meter-high (2019), rendered in ink and gouache on paper, was purchased for USD 125,000. Timothy Taylor (London/New York) offered recent pieces from Ding Yi’s signature series of crosshatch compositions, , at the physical booth and online. The gallery sold three paintings for USD 130,00 each via Frieze’s digital platform.
