Frieze London got into full swing this past Wednesday, the day the serious art crowd, with VIP status, arrived from 11.00am. From what we hear business was brisk at all price levels. The world’s leading galleries are in attendance, including David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, Xavier Hufkens, Taka Ishii Gallery, Karma, Kukje Gallery, Matthew Marks Gallery, Mendes Wood DM, Victoria Miro, Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Stevenson and Goodman Gallery.
Frieze has also just launched No. 9 Cork Street, Mayfair. A pop-up space in the street that was London’s original contemporary art world hub. Now undergoing a renaissance, it offers international gallerists an opportunity to introduce their artists to a London/European clientele, while the art fair is the main focus of this week.
Claridge’s ArtSpace also has a timely opening this week with an exhibition of work by Damien Hirst. Designed by John Pawson, the new basement gallery space of this iconic London hotel features four-metre high ceilings and museum-style temperature control and lighting.
Already popular with the international cognoscenti, will Claridges now become the go-to hotel for the big time art collector crowd?
The Paris contemporary art scene is also in full swing this month, with FIAC (Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain) at the helm from the 21st to the 24th. Located at the Grand Palais, there’ll be approximately 200 world-renowned exhibitors. Some noteworthy exhibitions at the same time in the city include:
** The Martin Margiela exhibition at the Lafayette Anticipations Foundation (from 20 October).
** The Soutine/De Kooning exhibition at the Musée de l’Orangerie.
** The Morozov exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
With the recent opening of LVMH’s Cheval Blanc hotel, featuring some beautiful suites facing the Seine, as well as La Langosteria, one of our favourite fish restaurants in Milan, Paris is upping its game once again.
Almost 6,000 miles east, and M+ Kowloon is scheduled to open in Hong Kong on 12 November. Designed by renowned Swiss architects, Herzog & de Meuron, responsible for Tate Modern in London, the space houses exhibition areas, a skylit gallery and roof terrace, artists’ studios and performance spaces.
Stateside, the Dallas Art Fair opens on 12 November, when prominent international exhibitors and collectors will gather at the Fashion Industry Gallery in the Dallas Arts District.
Also in the US, one of the most social and popular fairs of the year, Art Basel Miami, from 2–4 December, brings in the art world cognoscenti who gather for several big ticket dinners, fun soirees and parties. Associated art events also continue during the month, rounding off the year.
Well, not quite. In Cape Town, December also sees the inauguration of ‘Tracey Rose: Shooting Down Babylon’ at Zeitz MOCAA, the largest ever retrospective of the controversial South African performance artist’s work.
With South Africa now open again, we’re seeing plenty of renewed interest on the travel front. Nota Bene clients are heading to Botswana this month and enquiries are underway for Namibia and Tanzania.
In celebration of ‘Art October’, and the world reopening from the pandemic, we are taking the opportunity to offer to plan and manage one exclusive, upscale trip, outside of membership.
This is a rare opportunity and one which we are limiting to a select few travelling in the Nota Bene style. Contact us for details.