Frieze Reports Strong Sales With A Revamped Design: The Prints and Editions Review 2024

This year’s Frieze art fair held particular significance, following last year’s anniversary edition, which received lukewarm reviews and mirrored the uneasy mood brought on by rising interest rates. More gravely, the onset of the Israeli-Gaza conflict cast a somber shadow over the usual atmosphere of excitement and anticipation. Despite these challenges, the fair went on, and this year, although geopolitical unrest and high interest rates persist, the atmosphere felt refreshingly different. Walking into this year's tent was exhilarating, a feeling echoed by the dealers we spoke with. There was an undeniable buzz in the air, in-part thanks to the fresh presentation and dynamic new layout, which energised the atmosphere. It was a powerful reminder of why Frieze plays such a significant and vital role in the art market and cultural setting.

Reported as the biggest redesign in over a decade, the traditional layout of the fair, which typically placed mega galleries at the front and emerging artists in the back was reversed with the artist focus section and mid-sized international galleries taking centre stage. This strategic shift proved effective for several key reasons. First, it created a more welcoming atmosphere, making the fair feel less exclusive and more accessible to newcomers. In an art world increasingly driven by influence and reputation and catering to the ultra-wealthy, highlighting not only emerging artists, but more affordable works, at the forefront was a clever way to boost attendance and sales–especially with competition from rival fairs like Art Basel Paris, prompting collectors to make travel choices in an uncertain economy. Secondly, the new layout reflects a broader trend in the art market: a slowdown at the top end and growing interest in mid-tier works, such as prints and editions, and pieces by new talent, which offer more affordable opportunities. We spoke to David Cleaton-Roberts of Cristea-Roberts Gallery whose editions booth was towards the forefront, when asked about the new layout he spoke positively saying that “the new layout has really helped in terms of sales and booth traffic.”

Galleries Spotlight A Blend of Emerging Talent and Blue Chip Artists

In addition to the interactive elements showcased at the booths of Frieze London, a notable trend among both mid-sized and prominent galleries was their carefully curated selection of works. These included works in various mediums by emerging talent as well as artists who have already made an impact in the mid-to-high-end secondary market–a strategic move, similar to the previous year, as galleries aim to capitalise on well-established names in a sluggish market.

Stephen Friedman Gallery, for example, dedicated its booth to pieces by Caroline Walker, considered a newer talent in auction circles. Several other galleries stood out as well for more established blue chip branding and presentations: Almine Rech showcased Tom Wesselmann’s shaped cut-out canvases; Victoria Miro and David Zwirner exhibited dot paintings by Yayoi Kusama; White Cube presented Tracey Emin’s bronze relief portraits and Damien Hirst’s Cabinet Pharmaceutical works, alongside a stacked sculpture by Antony Gormley; and Harland Miller’s large-scale canvas Win (2022) was hard to miss with Miller’s signature, and impeccable, painterly technique and priced at £175,000 (GBP).

Dealers Insights: Prints and Editions

Naturally, we sought out all the booths offering prints and editions, where a similar sentiment prevailed. Here’s what we learned: Matthias Kunz of Kunst Kunz Gallery Editions, showcasing works by emerging talent Austin Eddy alongside iconic names like Andy Warhol including a rare trial proof of Queen Ntombi, which remained available as of Thursday. When asked about sales and the gallery’s presentation, Matthias reported strong sales and promising interest, noting that displaying “centuries of artists' works together creates a unique dialogue, encouraging younger buyers and new generations of collectors.”

We also visited Paragon Editions, which featured a selection of works by British Contemporary artist Grayson Perry. Various editioned etchings were priced between 10,000 and 50,000. The standout piece at the booth was Reclining Artist (2022), a large-scale unique woodcut, which reportedly sold for 58,000, alongside strong first-day sales of other works.

Counter Editions, an extension of Carl Freedman Gallery, presented a solo exhibition of editioned and unique works by Tracey Emin. When asked about the atmosphere at the fair and the booth’s positioning, a representative shared that they were pleased with the strong crossover interest from their sister booth, positioned closer to the entrance, as well as the enthusiasm from collectors eager to acquire an Emin piece at a more accessible price point than her canvas paintings. Emin's larger, unique works were priced between 125,000 and 140,000, while the smaller hand-finished editions were available for 50,000.

We also caught up with our friends at Cristea Roberts, who reported strong sales, with works sold from every artist represented in their booth. David, the gallery’s director, mentioned that these results were building on previous solid sales from the recent Armory Fair in New York. He also credited the new layout for boosting foot traffic. Lastly, we spoke with STPI Editions, located in the centre of the fair, who acknowledged the market softening and buzz surrounding the newest competing fair, Art Basel Paris, but noted commendable traffic within the tent, especially from a younger generation of collectors. Learn more about collecting and the accessibility of prints and editions where Charlotte Stewart and David speak on a panel at the Art Business Conference.

Over the weekend, we headed to Frieze Masters, where the conversations with dealers continued. This sister tent, which features the most expensive blue chip works of the fair, also introduced a new element–a dedicated Artist Studio section with ten booths showcasing mid-career and senior artists. This was another example of the fair’s efforts to adapt to the current art market, employing a strategic and intentional approach to attract new visitors while keeping seasoned collectors engaged. We spoke with several galleries showcasing top-tier blue chip works, and here’s what they had to say:

Our first stop was the Susan Sheehan Gallery, located in New York City and specialising in Post-War American prints. The gallery has a strong reputation for sourcing high-quality limited editions and prints with significant historical provenance. I had the chance to speak with Susan herself about several works on display, including the complete set of Warhol’s Flowers series, which they had framed in-house, radiating it's vibrant colours off the wall. Susan noted that the set was priced at $2.2 million (USD), highlighting the matching edition numbers and its rare provenance, dating back to Galerie Ileana Sonnabend, founded in Paris in 1962 by Ileana, who was married to Leo Castelli from 1933 to 1959.

Also on display in pristine condition were David Hockney’s Rain from The Weather Series priced above $100,000 (USD), and Wind priced at $95,000 (USD), along with Hockney’s A Rake’s Progress (complete set), priced at $625,000 (USD). As of Saturday, all works were still available, though with noted interest from potential buyers. When asked about the atmosphere of the fair, Susan expressed optimism, although she noted encouraging sales from the previous year as well.

We also came across several Bridget Riley pieces at various booths. Archeus / Post-Modern, presented three Riley works on display: Composition With Circles 5, Winged Curve, and Firebird. When discussing demand, we observed a growing preference among collectors for Riley’s coloured works, whereas there used to be higher demand for her Fragment plexiglass pieces, which are challenging to find in good condition.

At Osborne Samuel Gallery, the mood was equally positive, with strong client interest. They had sold a Reclining Figure by Henry Moore for over 1 million on the first day. We also stopped by Ben Brown Fine Arts, where two pristine Hirst butterfly works, priced between 350,000 and 450,000, were still available as of Saturday, though generating considerable interest.