This group show could not find a better place or moment, given how South Korea’s cosmetics industry has peaked—driven by the global export success of Korean brands—and how cosmetic interventions have become so normalized they border on obsession within the country’s society. Featuring a lineup of established and emerging names including So Young Park, Pamela Rosenkranz, Diane Severin Nguyen, Haena Yoo, Haneyl Choi, Sylvie Fleury, Simon Fujiwara, Sanja Ivekovic, Anna Munk and Ju Young Kim, the exhibition at P21 Gallery examines how artists engage with the material world of cosmetics consumer culture. Exploring the intersections of beauty and capitalism, the show highlights the emotional intensity of cosmetics and makeup, revealing how the body, skin and psyche are metaphorically reconstructed amid the expansion of the consumer goods market—a market fueled by spontaneous, conscious responses to users’ trauma. Rather than offering a simple expression of beauty, the exhibition proposes a psychological, sensory and materialist aesthetic composed of powders, lotions, sprays and plastic packaging, raising urgent questions about our relationship with our own bodies.
A constellation of salon-style fairs opened in Paris this week, perfectly timed to coincide with an increasingly intense and vibrant Art Basel Paris, helping solidify the French capital’s status as Europe’s premier art hub. Leading the charge on Tuesday was Paris Internationale, which took over the raw, abandoned Central Bergère once again. Its grungy, unfinished atmosphere mirrored the experimental art displayed in the booths. This year, the fair hosted seventy-five galleries from nineteen countries, and a bustling opening day led to strong sales. Japanese artist Kajiito Ito, presented by Tomio Koyama Gallery, sold out his entire collection of paintings and sculptures priced between $3,500-5,000. Meanwhile, Athens-based The Breeder made its debut, showcasing works by artist and choreographer Maria Hassabi alongside sculptures by Georgia Sagri. By the third day, the gallery celebrated the sale of one of Sagri’s works ($30,000-40,000) to a prominent European institutional collection, along with several editions of Hassabi’s golden mirrored photographs, which were placed in private collections for $20,000-30,000. Hassabi is set to present a solo exhibition at the gallery at the end of November.
LoBrutto Stahl’s solo booth featuring the intriguing, esoteric paintings of Georgian artist Tornike Robakidze sold out by the end of the first day. Düsseldorf’s Lucas Hirsch also reported strong early sales of works by Kassel-based painter Lukas Müller, who studied under Albert Oehlen, with paintings going for around $10,000 and a few gouaches for $4,500. By Friday, Ludovico Corsini, now operating independently after parting ways with CLEARING, nearly sold out his booth at Paris Internationale. Javier Barrios’ works of intricate symbolism sold in the $8,000-30,000 range, while pieces by Meriem Bennani moved for $18,000-45,000.
Another standout was the Shanghai-based gallery Plateus, which brought the nature-inspired, meditative abstractions artist Wang Jung created in the open air. The artist spent hours immersed in nature, painting and sketching in the forests of Guangzhou, China, seeking a deeper connection between humanity and the natural world. His lively, gestural brushstrokes convey the movement of the trees, the air in between and their lymph and energy.
Among the new fairs adding to the buzz of Paris Art Week was the first edition of NADA in the city, The Salon, launched in partnership with The Community. Unlike the sun-soaked Basel preview, this fair opened on a rainy, gray day in a modern building in the 10th Arrondissement that once housed SNCF, the French railway. The glass structure provided a sleek, seamless flow around the booths, though the atmosphere was noticeably quieter compared to other fairs—likely because Parisians are still warming up to this American-led event, which felt more like an “American community” gathering transplanted to Paris.
Despite the slower pace, some galleries saw early sales. Local dealer Cadet Capela presented a solo booth featuring works by Blake Daniels, selling two of the three pieces on display at prices between $20,000 and $25,000. “We had a great first day: dynamic, with a very international audience,” Mathieu Capela told Observer. Upstairs, New York favorites like Mrs. gallery showcased works by Alexandra Barth, Megan Bogonovich and Robert Zehnder. “We’ve had strong interest and a couple of small sales,” Sara Salamone, founder of Mrs., said. “We’re staying positive for the weekend and excited to engage with more Parisian and European collectors. It was quieter, but there was a good level of people.”
FR MoCA at The Salon by NADA. Courtesy of FR MoCA
In the next booth, Olympia presented Coleen Herman’s vibrant, gestural abstractions priced between $5,000 and $12,000 in an airy, atmospheric display that drew a lot of attention. Upstairs, Montreal-based Bradley Ertaskiran showcased Veronica Pausova’s intricate reflections on the feminine body, available for $9,000. One of the standout projects at The Salon was a show by the Fall River Museum of Contemporary Art (FR MoCA), a nonprofit, artist-led collective centered around themes of transparency, screens and porosity. Founded by Massachusetts natives Harry Gould Harvey IV and Brittni Ann Harvey, the collective focuses on alternative, cyclical systems to sustain artistic production and co-creation, often collaborating with other galleries to engage communities through their innovative space.
Another highlight was Shary Boyle’s mysterious ceramics, presented by Patel Brown, displayed alongside small canvases by Muriel Jaouich. Boyle’s new ceramic works, created at the Ceramic Work Centre in the Netherlands, have her signature unsettling style but explore themes of silence and the unspoken truths that resonate in today’s world. The collaborative booth by 52 Walker and Mitchell-Innes & Nash (which recently closed the New York gallery to become an art advisory) also made an impression, with several works by the late, great Pope.L.
Patel Brown at The Salon by NADA. JEREMIE BOUILLON
Asia Now, housed in the sumptuous historical palace of the Monnaie de Paris, opened on the same day with a highly curated selection from the very first room. Each year, it seems, the fair elevates its offerings, attracting more established galleries like Esther Schipper, which presented the work of young, talented Korean artist Lee Linju, selling out in the $20,000 range. Perrotin dedicated one side of its booth to Hong Kong artist Ya Chin Chang, whose meticulously detailed paintings quickly sold in the $20,000-25,000 range ahead of a New York show next year. The Drawing Room Manila from the Philippines showcased a solo booth of hand-carved woodwork by Roberto Faleo, with three pieces selling in the early hours for $5,000-7,000. Parisian gallery Galerie LJ also made a strong impression, selling visionary works on paper by Georgian artist Rusudan Khizanishvili in the opening hours.
Nearby, Berlin’s Kornfeld gallery saw quick success with the sale of a large work by Rao Fu for $44,000 in the fair’s first hours—Fu’s demand has risen notably since his collaboration with Perrotin. “We’re thrilled by the overwhelming response from prominent museum professionals, curators, and collectors across the globe, particularly from France and Southeast Asia,” a gallery rep told Observer. “The sale of Tamara Kvesitadze’s kinetic sculpture to a collector in China, along with the enthusiastic reception of Egani’s striking Jean-Michel Basquiat portrait, underscores the international resonance of the artists we represent. It’s a testament to the dynamic and diverse energy of the fair.” Square Street Gallery from Hong Kong echoed this satisfaction. “It’s been an incredible start to the fair,” director Leon Jago told Observer. “We brought Daisuke Tajima’s work to Asia Now for his inaugural European presentation, and we received an excellent response from collectors and curators alike.”
View of the entrance to Asia Now entrance. Courtesy of Asia Now
Last but not least, another relatively new fair that collectors seemed to have appreciated was OFFSCREEN, which took place not far from the Grand Palais at Grand Garage Haussmann (yes, a former garage) and featured twenty-five works by artists Alfredo Jaar, Gordon Matta Clark and Lita Albuquerque, among others. This avant-garde fair focuses on experimental, image-based artworks, including video, film, photography and mixed-media installations. The late Belgian director Chantal Akerman was this year’s guest of honor, and her work was displayed in collaboration with Marian Goodman Gallery.
Visitors at Frieze London in 2023. Photo courtesy of Linda Nylind/Frieze
As the art world copes with what feels like an abbreviated summer break and a crowded fall calendar looming, Frieze announced details for its upcoming London fairs, coming up on October 9-12 in The Regent’s Park. The 2024 Frieze fair in London will feature more than 160 galleries from forty-three countries, including some of the leading spaces in London’s gallery scene, with established names like Stephen Friedman Gallery, Alison Jacques, Lisson Gallery, Victoria Miro, Modern Art, White Cube and Thomas Dane Gallery plus spaces devoted to pioneering research on the latest contemporary art expressions, including Arcadia Missa, Carlos/Ishikawa, Leopold Thun’s Emalin and Maureen Paley. Among the international galleries returning to Frieze London are Gagosian, Goodman Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, Gallery Hyundai, Tina Kim Gallery, Lehmann Maupin, Pace Gallery, Perrotin, Almine Rech, Thaddaeus Ropac, Esther Schipper, Sprüth Magers and David Zwirner.
What to expect at Frieze London 2024
Frieze London’s newly announced big change is the fresh floorplan by design practice A Studio Between. The new layout will give prominence to the fair’s curated sections, placing more emphasis on artists and discoveries.
Among those sections, “Focus” will feature thirty-four solo and dual presentations from artists and galleries spanning five continents. In the list of participating galleries and artists, we find that 56 Henry (New York) showcases powerful paintings by Jo Messer; El Apartamento (Havana, Madrid) brings Julia Fuentesal; Madragoa (Lisbon) takes the work of Jaime Welsh; and Gallery Vacancy (Shanghai) the work of Korean artist Sun Woo, among others. Meant to offer a platform especially to the young gallery community, the section is presented this year in collaboration with the brand Stone Island, which will help fund the participation of these emerging galleries.
Another interesting curated selection that will return this year is “Artist-to-artist,” which mounts six solo presentations chosen by world-renowned artists. This year’s edition will feature Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom, chosen by Glenn Ligon (Champ Lacombe, Biarritz); Rob Davis, selected by Rashid Johnson (Broadway, New York); Nengi Omuku selected by Yinka Shonibare (Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London); Massinissa Selmani chosen by Zineb Sedira (Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis); Magda Stawarska chosen by Lubaina Himid (Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix, London); and Peter Uka chosen by Hurvin Anderson (Mariane Ibrahim, Chicago, Paris, Mexico City).
Finally, connecting material and some narratives that have become increasingly present in the contemporary art scene in recent years, Frieeze created a new themed section, “Smoke,” curated by Pablo José Ramírez (Curator, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles) and dedicated to ceramic works that explore diasporic and Indigenous histories. The section draws its title from El Animal Humo(the Smoke Animal), Humberto Ak’abal’s story of an enigmatic creature made of smoke that emanates from the soil as a sublime and disturbing manifestation of nature. Featured artists include Manuel Chavajay (Pedro Cera, Madrid, Lisbon), Lucía Pizzani (Cecilia Brunson Projects, London), Christine Howard Sandoval (parrasch heijnen, Los Angeles), Ayla Tavares (Galeria Athena, Rio De Janeiro and Hatch, Paris) and Linda Vallejo (parrasch heijnen, Los Angeles), who explore counter-archaeology, the continuum of ancestry and how materials bear witness to diasporic movements.
Koetser Gallery at Frieze Masters in 2023. Courtesy of Frieze and Michael Adair
What to expect at Frieze Masters 2024
This year’s Frieze Masters will feature 130 galleries from twenty-six countries mounting booths focusing on modern and classic masterpieces. Led by Nathan Clements-Gillespie, the fair will similarly try to be more artist-centered, with an expanded “Studio” section and a redefined floor plan designed to encourage creative connections across art history.
The fair will present long-time exhibitors such as Galerie Chenel, Richard Green, Hauser & Wirth, Lehmann Maupin, Skarstedt and Axel Vervoordt, as well as leading Korean dealers such as Arario Gallery, Gana Art, Hakgojae Gallery and Johyun Gallery. This year, there’s a solid contingent of galleries dealing in ancient Asian art on the roster including Gisèle Croës s.a, Rasti Fine Art, Carlton Rochell Asian Art, Rossi & Rossi, Tenzing Asian Art and Thomsen Gallery. First-time participants include Afridi (London), Bijl-Van Urk Masterpaintings (Alkmaar), Galatea (Salvador, São Paolo), Galerie Léage (Paris), Tilton Gallery (New York) and Trias Art Experts (Munich).
In terms of thematic sections, Frieze Masters will continue with the “Studio” section curated by British art historian and curator Sheena Wagstaff. This section focuses on practices that illuminate the interconnections between our civilization’s past and future. The line-up includes Isabella Ducrot, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Shirazeh Houshiary and Doris Salcedo
The other curated section, “Spotlight,” is curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and previously senior curator at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, Texas.The section will focus on solo presentations by 20th-century artists, particularly overlooked artists and lesser-known works by established figures from the 1950s to the 1970s. Featured artists include Judy Chicago, Kulim Kim, Balraj Khanna, Donald Locke, Nabil Nahas, Nil Yalter and more.
Visitors at Frieze London in 2023. Photo courtesy of Linda Nylind/Frieze
Must-see Frieze Week shows
During Frieze Week in October, the vibrant London art scene will showcase a series of major institutional exhibitions that you’ll want to make sure to put on your art week itinerary. Those include: “Francis Bacon: Human Presenc” at the National Portrait Gallery; Lygia Clark and Sonia Boyce at Whitechapel Gallery; Michael Craig-Martin at the Royal Academy of Arts; “Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers” at the National Gallery London; “Mike Kelley: Ghost and Spirit” and the majestic Mire Lee’s Turbine Hall Commission at Tate Modern; Hew Locke at the British Museum and “Haegue Yang: Leap Year” at the Hayward Gallery.
