Frieze art fair 2013, second day: Arab women and a Wade Guyton

 

At the contemporary section now the general public is flowing around apparently admiring artworks but very rarely spending money. A gallerist from Los Angels affirms to have just sold the bright Amalia Pica’s piece hanging on the wall to a collector who will donate it to the Tate. He complains about the fact that it was Frieze contemporary which have generated Frieze Masters, and not viceversa. Nonetheless it is this latter which has turned to be the posh place, with carpet on the floor, good restaurants and rich Arab women adorned with amazing jewels walking around. He is definitely right.

 

At Frieze Masters the visitors of day two are not just students and art groupies, but sophisticated middle aged people who seem more than curious about art pieces. Especially the Arabs. It’s difficult to say whether they are buying or not, but they certainly could; possibly in order to extend their new museums collections that are quickly growing, in Doha above the others. Probably most of them are also aware of the contemporary and modern evening sale at Sotheby’s. The first lot on sale is an astonishing Wade Guyton from 2010 which the auction estimates between 300.000-400-000 gbp but many expect it to reach 1 million. A few minutes after 7.30 pm the piece went for 520.000, commissions excluded. The lucky buyer is Italian. This is the sign that prices are growing and the market is hungry of important art works, but with a more cautiously and sober approach.

July 15, 2015