A stroll around London's Frieze Art Fair 2016

London hosts a large number of art fairs in October but the daddy of them all is Frieze where the world's top galleries gather in a huge marquee in Regent's Park to show off their best wares. 

I go each year with a friend who lectures in Fine Art so I get the best low down on what we are seeing. You can discover new artists but also find new work from established favourites. 

I didn't see much I would want to buy but was sure there was little I could afford, although it's hard to tell as it is a world without price tags!


Here are just a few of the works you might have seen if you went to Frieze and for those who didn't go, have a stroll around with me.  This are by no means the best works on display but just some which caught my eye. 

Melik Ohanian

Mona Hatoum

Paulina Olowska

Paulina Olowska 

Michael Landy 

Michael Landy - detail 

Peter Piller

Damien Hirst 

Jake and Dinos Chapman

Tracey Emin

Damien Hirst - detail  

Raqib Shaw 

Raqib Shaw - detail 

Grayson Perry 

Grayson Perry - detail 

Grayson Perry - detail 

Grayson Perry 

Haegue Yang 

Jesse Darling 

Berta Fischer 

The toilets had been turned into an artwork by Julie Verhoeven and were great fun - loud music, dressed toilet seats and scattered pieces around the wash basins. I'm voting for more interesting toilets everywhere!

 
It's an intense afternoon, trying to see as much as possible inside the marquee so it's good to round off the day with a wander around the sculpture park just outside.  An added bonus is that you can explore these pieces for free!

Claude Lalanne 

Conrad Shawcross

Jean Dubuffet 

Barry Flanagan

Can't wait for next year!

I hope you enjoyed a stroll around Frieze. Follow me on Twitter to explore more of London,
Sue  @itsyourlondon
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk

The new Tate Modern opens in London

I've been watching the extension to the Tate Modern grow for the last 5 years, seeing the twisted pyramidal shape emerge as the exterior changed from a white cladding to a brick lattice which matches yet is different from the original Tate.  They are both part of an old power station site so in a nod to its origins the first Tate building is now called the Boiler House and the new Tate is the Switch House. 

Hailed as a gallery for the 21st century, a significant addition to London's cultural scene,   the Switch House brings us 10 storeys, a whopping 60% of new exhibition space and a focus on new interactive forms of art, more women artists and a wider representation of international artists.  

Viewed from the south 

Undoubtedly the building is the star, it's light, has wonderful shapes within it and outside, the materials are gorgeous wood and raw concrete and the panoramic views afforded from the top floor are among the best in London.   It sits happily alongside the Boiler House and looking across from one to the other when you are inside makes perfect sense. They have achieved a contrasting yet co-ordinated feel between the two buildings, helped no doubt by using the same architects, Herzog & de Meuron. 

Here are some views of the interior of the Switch House, showing the sweeping spaces and the effect of the lattice brickwork on the interior light and shadows. 

Glorious wooden floors and benches, smooth the the touch 

Entry to The Tanks

The area called 'The Tanks' which was opened up a couple of years ago, return to form the basement of the Switch House. Here you can find the floor plan, showing just how much extra space the Switch House brings to the Tate Modern. 



























Looking across to the Boiler House gives you a new perspective along the enormous gaping space of the Turbine Hall:  You'll spot a new installation by Ai Wei Wei, a monumental sculpture of a tree made of dried tree parts from all over China. I saw it being assembled the week before like a massive 3-D jigsaw.

Up on the 10th floor is an external viewing platform around the outside of the building giving the chance to see 360 degree panoramas across the whole of London which few can match. 

What about the art? I'm more of a painting/sculpture art lover so some of the more abstract items left me unmoved. There are very few paintings and a lot of very new work but some familiar names and some intriguing pieces drew me in and I did find something to enjoy in most of the rooms. It feels new, contemporary, bold and, of course, challenging.  Here are just a few examples to give you an idea of what is on display:

Mark Bradford, yes a painting!

Marwan Rechmaoui - a map of Beirut in rubber 

A room dedicated to Louise Bourgeois

Yes, live macaws with a sign saying they are well looked after!

Lots of fun in a box of mirrors by Yayoi Kusama

Roni Horn's beautiful pink glass box

Bubbles frothing from David Medalla 

Maria Metz's aluminium piece 

There are restaurants, cafes and bars in the Switch House as well as existing Boiler House offerings so there is plenty to refresh you as you explore these 2 extraordinary buildings. 

For more information check out their website

Bye for now,
Sue
@itsyourlondon
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk