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Everything feels surreal out there. Life goes on as normal and it feels like the world is falling apart around us. Fashion and trends are becoming more and more colourful and theatrical - is this reflecting our times? Will the art in Frieze reflect fashion and trend or the real world, perhaps a bit of both? I am so curious to see.
In comparison to world turmoil, we checked out the purity of Roni Horn at Hauser and Wirth.
Mike Kelley at Gagosian, where for the first time ever I was made to delete all my photographs by the very strict security. He had continued on his theme of Utopian cities, the work was very interesting, probably quite spectacular but it was hard to disassociate the high quality production from the actual art itself. Mike has many messages for us. One for sure is “all that glitters is not gold”. Sadly I never got to see him again, I think he was hiding upstairs with the VIPs behind a very thick red rope, and I could not get to the dinner (my loss).
Then it was a to visit Tom Burr at Modern Art and his work was wonderful and he for me is the real deal. I love his work and his use of contemporary materials to create art. I think he and Mike have similar messages and show their work in very different ways.
Also went to check out Lucy Liu's show at Salon Vert: as talented a painter as she is an actress.
Then a pit stop to Maison Objet in Paris as I have a few houses to decorate and how shocking compared to art fairs in so many ways. Much more exhausting for starters I had two huge blisters I must have covered 10K in 14 hours. Furniture and furnishings are so much cheaper than art! Most important that the booths are so aesthetically pleasing compared to most art booths!!
Back home and I manage to drop by Rod Barton’s pop-up space and came across the work of Gabriele Beveridge. I felt safe here doing what I love doing: discovering emerging art and new young gallerists.
Then it was to Number 10 with my Dad. He was so proud, 86 years old, gone through the Blitz and there he was outside number 10 visiting the wonderful State Rooms and checking out all the latest Ceramics with Ed Vaizey and Janice Blackburn.
Then hopped over with Poju and Sarah Weir to the awe-inspiring Olympic park and was totally taken aback by the amount of incredible work taking place. The Mittal Orbital is already looking amazing!
I run straight to Sotheby’s where Julie Noble and Antonia Gross show me their handywork and I am stunned. The helmets for the Legacy List look spectacular.
Then it was to the Four Seasons to sell them.I loved Keith Tyson’s Helmet. I walked away with Mustufa Hulusi’s helmet, which was lovely.
Boris of course thought his helmet was the best.
Nancy Fouts, Ron Arad, Jess Flood-Paddock and Gavin Turk were all there to show off their fantastic work. They were all comparing helmets with each other.
With the help of Ollie Barker he sold it for the most. The Legacy List did very well, my joint chairman Mark Florman closed the event and Boris jumped back on his bicycle very happy with the result. We already carried out our first project within the charity framework: a state of the art interactive playground. So it’s a start!
Then the weather turned and at last, for the first time this year, unbelievably summer had arrived.We had a lovely lunch for Laurel Nakadate. She appeared in her pink tights and we breathed in the summer.
Lizzie gave a tour of the house as she and Poju had curated the hang, which I thought to be very sophisticated. She stands and explains to Dominic Palfreyman, and Iwona Blaswick her amazing discovery of the artist Anthony Green. His new commission for us is spectacular I thought. A homage to Christopher Williams.
Passing our lovely Christopher Williams photographs, we enter the Gallery Space and there is Alan Kane explaining to Laurel, Markus from Hantje Cantz, and Candida Gertler his new commission. Which is “The Collection of Mr and Mrs Zabludowicz”, inspired by his previous work “The collection of Mr and Mrs Kane”. To make this work Alan went to Israel and stayed in my in-laws’ home in Caesaria which I call the shrine as it has been untouched since the 90s and he curated his own sense of museum from the collection. The work is very sensitive and brought tears to my eyes, it is sad, happy and tough.
Lunch was great everyone was comparing their pinks...
A proud Lizzie and Ellen with Laurel.
Here we all are with me and Maitreyi
My lovely Nicole Wermers rock dispenser placed in the garden.
Then the opening. Alan Kane and Bruce Haines turning up on their bikes.
The space looking serene but with an incredibly intense show. We are greeted by her intense film called “Greater New York” at the entrance where she is reacting to the 9/11 tragedy.
Anthony Green checking out the scene before him.
Laurel's banner looking amazing in the entrance.
Sasha, Kelly and Alex dancing away to “Oops!”
Christian Matthews buying a Jack Strange edition from our shop. Our editions often sell out before we even get them on the shelves as they are so cheap!
Then he is checking out Laurel’s amazing new book that we just published with Hatje Cantz. She cries for 365 days and just does not stop....
Breaking news: shockingly, I hear from Roy, who is doing his rounds in the lower East Side that Matthew Chambers and Brendan Fowler’s studio burned down, all their work was lost. Matthew and his assistant survived the fire… just about! All the work since the fire will be shown in Miami at Untitled. <br><br>Now a break and then it is countdown to Frieze week still worrying that the art world will be able to sustain this bad economic downturn and world instability. Whatever the scenario, without a doubt the champagne will still flow and there will be some new talent and incredible works to be discovered!
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