Beijing, Hong Kong artists among headliners at Frieze London show
2018-10-05
Nigel Cooke's paining entitled "Painter's Beach Club" is pictured during a photocall for the Frieze Art Fair in London on Oct 3, 2018. [Photo/VCG]
Chinese artists are among those featured at the 16th edition of Frieze London, a high-profile show that showcases international contemporary art. It started at the city's Regent's Park on Wednesday.
Beijing-based Liu Wei, with White Cube gallery in London, created a dramatic architectural environment made of metal mesh panels for the event, organizers said. The Chinese artist's paintings and sculptures were made especially for the exhibition.
Liu described his works as a look at "how an artist balances the commercial and the academic perspectives, which is the most important issue faced by contemporary artists. This new body of work is a reflection on the function of art and the relation between individuals and the whole society."
Visitors look at an artwork entitled "Unemployment" by Josh Kline during a photocall for the Frieze Art Fair in London on Oct 3, 2018. [Photo/VCG]
White Cube, which has represented Liu since 2012, said the Liu-designed booth at Frieze London "has been conceived by the artist as an installation, featuring a complex configuration of mesh walls that will transform the architecture of the space."
The presentation signifies a shift in Liu's work, which usually reflects the sociopolitical and urban landscape of China.
The fair also showcases emerging talent, including Hong Kong-based Wong Ping's immersive neon works, presented by Edouard Malingue Gallery.
Wong's Fables is a single animation film in three parts and exhibited within an immersive setting.
A visitor to the annual Frieze London art fair, stands close to artwork in London, Britain, Oct 4, 2018. [Photo/VCG]
"Flashing, pop-like imagery; visual and auditory narrations; installations that extend into three dimensions, the artist's fantastical animation world－these are elements of Wong Ping's practice that express his observations of society, from childhood to adulthood, using a visual language that sits on the border of shocking and amusing," according to the Hong Kong gallery.
There is a specific section of Frieze entitled Social Work, dedicated to women artists who were active during the 1980s and 1990s and challenged the status quo. Artists whose work is on display include Nancy Spero from the United States and Britain's Helen Chadwick.
The Frieze Film program questions systems that control and influence the dissemination of information, organizers said. Frieze Talks will be co-programmed for the first time by Lydia Yee, chief curator of Whitechapel Gallery. Highlights include multimedia storytelling and a conversation with US musician, artist and filmmaker Laurie Anderson.
The Frieze Masters section will bring together more than 130 international galleries presenting work depicting six millennia of art history from across the world.
