The French capital is busy this week of October not just because of the Art Basel. International collectors and art aficionados get to catch several design events in the Left Bank’s tony Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood . Thema is a brand-new design fair housed in a historic Parisian townhouse. The show is small, 11 galleries on two floors featuring mainly up-and-coming artists and designers. According to the founder of the Thema, Michael Hadida, what distinguishes this fair is its commitment to sustainability and inclusivity. The long anticipated launch of Design Miami fair finally happened. The Art Basel's sister show is housed in a 18th century mansion with an interesting history, L'hôtel de Maisons. Many of the 27 participating galleries have to share rooms. Over half of the exhibitors are Paris-based displaying pieces by iconic French designers such as Jean Royère and Jean Prouvé. American galleries are presented here as well. I caught up with two New York galleries, Friedman Benda and Hostler Burrows. Design at Large section features oversized installations and sculptures in the garden in the back. And the icing on the cake are the sweet designs by the Milanese café Cova, which set up a temporary counter here and the deserts look delicious. Paris, October 18, 2023
Frieze London 2023
This year, Frieze London celebrates its 20th-anniversary. Some of the highlights are Yinka Shonibare's works, also new additions, such as Artist-to-Artist initiative at Frieze London, and Modern Women section at Frieze Masters. The fair runs October 11 - 15, 2023.
ICFF 2023
The International Contemporary Furniture Fair brought together over 400 emerging and established design brands to Javits Center in New York. Among my highlights are: the Norway pavilion with the emphasis on sustainability; and original design studio Faina by Victoria Yakusha from Ukraine. The fair program also features students' work. Some brands and artists in the video (no sponsorship*): Michael J. Brolly Moooi Morelato Dounia Lighting Varier HeyMat Yiting Hou Wang Yichu New York, NY May 21-23, 2023
Frieze New York 2023
This May, Frieze New York returns to the Shed at Hudson Yards, featuring 60 galleries across three floors. Solo presentations abound, including Jack Whitten at Hauser & Wirth and Nan Goldin at Gagosian. David Kordansky gallery showcases Lauren Halsey, known for her Met rooftop installation. Tehran's Dastan gallery highlights five female artists, addressing challenges faced by Iranian women. Tiwani Contemporary makes its Frieze debut with Emma Prempeh in the Focus section. The LG OLED lounge spotlights digital art, featuring NFT artist Six N. Five. Jessica Vaughn wins the inaugural Frieze Artadia prize for her impactful work, "The Internet of Things," addressing societal issues. Frieze also champions social responsibility through the Artist Plate Project, which offers limited-edition artists’ plates at $250 each that can feed up to 100 people.
TEFAF New York 2023
With nearly 100 galleries participating, TEFAF New York is back at the Park Avenue Armory. It's about one-third the size of the Maastricht fair. The focus here is on modern and contemporary art with lots of familiar galleries: Van de Weghe, Axel Vervoordt, David Zwirner, Pace, Di Donna, but there's something for everyone's taste, like fine art paintings at the Richard Green gallery from London. This year, I am particularly interested in the design aspect of this fair. Galerie Mitterrand from Paris is showcasing a stunning collection of works by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne. Fun fact: the gallery’s owner is a relative of the former French president. And if you want to learn about ceramics, take a listen to my interview with artist Kate Malone at the Adrian Sassoon gallery booth. Lastly, Edmondo di Robilant speaks about his gallery Robilant+Voena. New York, NY March 16, 2023
Greaves Productions 