Cashing in typically comes before supporting artists at art fairs, and Frieze New York is no different from the rest in that regard. The main priority for dealers is to make money, and the point for attendees is to spend it, if not on art, then at least on overpriced coffees and sandwiches. Which is to say little of the entrance fee, which can reach $200, a sum I was fortunate not to have paid as an industry professional. There are, in any case, plenty of better places to see art in New York than a fair, and many of them are free.
But, as the finest dealers are aware, there is a way to show good art and monetize it, and some of the 68 galleries in this year’s just-opened Frieze, at the Shed in Hudson Yards, know just that. To this well-capitalized event, these select few have brought ambitious photography, eccentric paintings by self-taught artists, and sculptures that are downright weird.
Which booths stand out among the rest? Below is a look at eight of the best presentations at Frieze New York, which runs through Sunday.
