Sales at Frieze seemed to be steady and small. Most published reports from the fair contained the same dealer-generated notices over and over again. A few fell through the cracks and are collected here from Scott Reyburn’s column on Bloomberg:
Miami-based collector Martin Margulies returned to Frieze for the first time since the inaugural 2003 edition. He was one of many buyers acquiring works for less than $100,000, spending $150,000 on artists such as Thomas Housego and Michael Bauer.
“When I first came, Frieze was really wild,” Margulies said in an interview. “Now it’s turned into a really nice event. Prices are fair and it’s always possible to find something you want. It’s crowded, but that’s good.”
And Kate Taylor’s work in the New York Times:
There is a prize for the best booth, awarded this year to the Sadie Coles HQ gallery, whose booth included work by Rudolf Stingel, Elizabeth Peyton, Sarah Lucas, Urs Fischer and Sam Durant. Ms. Coles said that she had sold the Stingel painting for $300,000 and all three Elizabeth Peyton monotypes, two for $30,000 each and one for $35,000, among other works. […] “The Brazilians are out in force, as are the Koreans and Indians,” Mr. Hale of White Cube said. “Also the Ukrainians and Russians.” With newly acquired wealth, he continued, they were now seeking, in buying art, what he called “soft power.” For Mr. Hirst and his dealers they’re just in time.
Art Market Recovering as Frieze Boosted by Hirst, Collectors Heading to Paris (Bloomberg)
Big Fish and Fresh Cash at London Fair (New York Times)