The Times of London sent a reporter to Frieze who recorded some idle chatter on the stands. Here the idea of buying art as an investment seems comical:
Scene 3: Lisson Gallery stand. Buyers are reflected in a brassy Anish Kapoor disc, price £450,000. […] A neon sign on the wall by Jonathan Monk says DO NOT PAY MORE THAN $20,000.
Alex from Lisson (in black suit and specs): “A new sign goes up each day of the fair, in $20,000 increments to $100,000. The piece actually costs about $15,000. But there’s a stipulation that it must never be sold for more than the stated price. Less is OK. So you want to buy the £100,000 one for an investment.”
Scenes from Frieze Art Fair in an Age of Austerity (Times of London)