This post was originally published on artnews.com
I often find it hard not to think of Halloween once October begins, when plastic pumpkins, spooky decorations, and cheap bags of candy start cropping up across the US. While Halloween doesn’t have quite the grip on the public imagination in the UK, at this year’s edition of Frieze London, which opened to VIPs yesterday, a comparison to the holiday’s signature trick or treating festivities didn’t seem like a stretch for the imagination, with groups of four or five stopping at one booth before quickly moving on the next, hoping that at least a few dealers have brought something worth sinking your teeth into.
Around town this week, there is still a lot of chatter over whether London can hold its own against Paris, where Art Basel’s French fair will open next week. After cursory introductions, everyone seems to be asking “are you going to Paris?” Anecdotally, many seem to be doing both. While the newly redesigned Frieze tent in Regent’s Park wasn’t exactly bulging at the seams, there was energy in the aisles. Only a handful of booths were ever empty for any significant time at any point during opening day, the few that were likely suffered from being placed in far corners of the tent.
More importantly, dealers did show up with wares that are worth spending time with. Below, a look at the booths most worth your time at Frieze London 2024, which runs through October 13.