Quirky Creativity: Exploring the Boundaries of Modern Art with Grape Soda, Moonbounce, and Electric Fan
Frieze - London's premier art fair - mesmerized art enthusiasts with unconventional exhibits From a whimsical grape soda fountain to a unique twist on a bouncy castle, a captivating video of a bird in a cat cage, and thought-provoking installations like (Un)Lucky Charms and a desk fan beside an open book, this event redefined modern art
FriezeLondon's 20th annual edition, the largest and most impactful art fair, is now underway.
Dubbed by a critic as "a haven of unimaginative art for the wealthy elite," Regents Park hosted an amalgamation of affluent international art collectors, insiders from the industry, and the fashionable crowd of the city.
Not all attendees are avid fans of the arts, with many opting for other activities like getting a 3D facial scan at skincare brand Barbara Sturm's "Anti-Inflammatory Lounge." Despite this diversion, Frieze has earned a longstanding reputation for showcasing daring and satirical artwork.
Immersed in the world of British art, Maggi Hambling remains an iconic figure known for her rebellious nature.
Can modern art still surprise us during a time when record-breaking auction sales reach millions of dollars and collecting art is considered a financial investment rather than a lifelong passion? Consider, for example, the installation "Flea Market" in 2007, which sold original artworks alongside various personal belongings of the artists, including a used sofa belonging to portrait painter Elizabeth Peyton, with prices starting at £0. Another instance in 2009 featured a performance art piece offering visitors the opportunity to receive a personalized lecture on string theory, a theoretical framework in physics.
Frieze London seems to think so. Scroll down to see the strangest and most esoteric installations on display at this years art fair, which runs until October 15.
A grape soda fountain
Adam Farah-Saad's debut at the Public Gallery booth included a steel 6-person fountain pumping KA grape soda.
Courtesy of Public Gallery, the inaugural solo exhibition by London-based artist Adam Farah-Saad showcased a magnificently transformed steel drinking fountain reminiscent of the ones commonly found in children's parks and playgrounds.
This version is likely to be more appealing to those under 18, as it exclusively serves KA Black Grape Soda instead of H2O. According to the gallery, Farah-Saad's work delves into the non-linear nature of memory, particularly during adolescence. Surrounding his operational grape soda sculpture was a wall adorned with a pull-up bar and a steel CD disc display featuring Mariah Carey's 1997 album "Butterfly."
Not your childhood bouncy castle
Débora Delmar's inflatable watchtower titled "Caballero Alto," after the historic castle in Mexico City, was an imposing piece offered by Llano Gallery.
In the bottom right corner of the tent stands a striking, all-white inflatable turret created by London-based Mexican artist Débora Delmar. Though it may bring to mind moonbounces at birthday parties, this castle, named "Caballero Alto" (2023) after the watchtower of Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City, delves into colonial history. The fortified castle served as a battleground in the late 19th century, where a violent conflict between Mexicans and Americans resulted in the loss of numerous lives on both sides.
A video of a bird in a cat cage, in a cat cage
Wantanee Siripattananuntakul's work was focused around his pet parrot, Beuys.
Linda Nylind/Frieze
The squawking sound immediately captures your attention as you approach the installations of Thai artist Wantanee Siripattananuntakul at Gallery VER. Positioned on the left side of the booth, there appears to be a compact travel cage designed for a cat. Thankfully, the chirping does not originate from a live bird, but rather from a video featuring a parrot confined within the cat cage.
Siripattananuntakul regards his female gray parrot, Beuys, named after the German artist Joseph Beuys, as not just a pet but as an artistic equal and collaborative partner. The multi-layered cages depicted in the artwork titled "Freeze TV" (2016) serve as a symbol, as Gallery VER explains, representing the constraining influence of the television industry. This industry subtly imposes notions of social hierarchy and absolute truths, ultimately entrapping viewers within an "invisible cage."
(Un)Lucky Charms
YBA Gillian Wearing presented a frightening and fashionable twist on charm bracelets at Maureen Paley's booth this year.
Linda Nylind/Frieze
A desk fan and an open book
Gillian Wearing, an artist associated with the Young British Artists movement that disrupted the industry in the 1990s, unveiled a slightly unsettling charm bracelet of extraordinary proportions. Entitled "My Charms" (2021), the bracelet features an intriguing combination of a blinking eye, a detached ear, and a floating hyper-realistic replica of Wearing's own head, all serving as eerie pendants delicately suspended from a bronze chain. Though evoking suggestions of horror, the piece paradoxically exudes a contemporary fashionability and bears a striking resemblance to the works of emerging New York-based jewelry designer, Haricot Vert.
Shilpa Gupta's piece on UK borders at Frith Street Gallery was attention-grabbing in its simplicity.
Indian artist Shilpa Gupta presents a remarkably Friezesque installation at the fair, titled "100 Hand Drawn Maps of the United Kingdom" (2023). The concept is straightforward; a black notepad with simple geographic outlines is placed on a table. Positioned at a distance of 20 inches, a rotating electric fan causes the pages to flutter, revealing different drawings of the UK. This arbitrary gust of air symbolizes the subjective nature of political borders and territory, inviting viewers to reflect on this complex issue.
