In yet another sign that our high-culture scene is finally rousing from its year-long COVID slumber, the ninth edition of Frieze New York, one of the world's largest and glitziest art fairs, opened on Wednesday at The Shed in Hudson Yards.
But it's not quite the Frieze you might remember.
Frieze NY 2021
There are less than a third of the usual number of exhibitors on hand for this year's pandemic iteration—about 60, down from nearly 200 in years past—and the Frieze's famously stellar people-watching possibilities are diminished by timed entries and capacity restrictions.
The food and bar scene has been sequestered to The Shed's "skylight lounge" on the top floor, where you can get free snacks and/or $33 flutes of champagne.
And in keeping with pandemic guidelines, everyone in attendance is required to show proof of a recent (within 72 hours) negative COVID test, or a vaccination card. Even with that, masks are required at all times.
Each exhibitor at this year's Frieze gets a reasonably distanced piece of territory somewhere on the venue's three main floors, and most galleries—especially the big guns like Gagosian, David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, and Pace—seem to have brought far fewer pieces than we're used to seeing under that enormous white tent on Randall's Island. Space restrictions also precluded any massive sculptural show-stoppers from making an appearance, taking away some of the fun and most of the best selfie opportunities.
But even with all the downsizing and pandemic protocols, Frieze New York remains an excellent showcase of what the world's high-end dealers and collectors believe to be, or desire to be, the most important, most relevant, and, not incidentally, the most marketable works of contemporary art available now.
Tickets for Frieze IRL are sold out for the entire five day run, but everyone can access the fair's digital component, Frieze Viewing Room, which features works presented by more than 160 exhibitors from around the world, including those currently at The Shed.
