1. Billy Childish - Lehmann Maupin
Billy Childish at Frieze, photo: Lougher
2. Benedikte Bjerre - Palace Enterprise
Benedikte Bjerre’s installation The Birds (2017) transforms Palace Enterprise’s space into a whimsical yet thought-provoking scene. A huddle of identical, foil-coated, helium-filled baby penguins bounces aimlessly across the floor, captivating viewers with their playful, almost absurd movement. The installation draws attention to our craving for mindless entertainment while simultaneously offering a sharp commentary on mass consumerism and the looming threat of climate change.
By referencing Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1963 film The Birds, Bjerre contrasts the ominous, vengeful birds in the movie with her own penguins, who seem blissfully unaware of their limitations and impending fate. While Hitchcock’s birds act with a menacing agency, Bjerre’s penguins reflect a passive acceptance, representing a broader critique of humanity’s complacency in the face of environmental catastrophe. The lightheartedness of the installation, paired with its deeper themes, challenges viewers to reconsider their own relationship with consumption, entertainment, and the planet's future.
Benedikte Bjerre at Frieze, photo: Lougher
3. Tracey Emin - Galleria Lorcan O'Neill
Tracey Emin's works and sculptures are deeply personal, often exploring themes of identity, love, loss, and trauma. Known for her raw, confessional style, she uses a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, neon lights, and textiles. Emin's most iconic pieces, like My Bed (1998) and Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 (1995), reveal intimate details of her life, blurring the line between art and autobiography. Her sculptures often take the form of fragmented or vulnerable human figures, capturing emotional intensity and physical fragility. Emin's work frequently addresses themes of womanhood, sexuality, and vulnerability, with a focus on personal expression and emotional depth.
Galleria Lorcan O'Neill present a series of sculptural works, neons and works on paper in this show stopping booth.
Tracey Emin at Frieze, photo: Lougher
4. Jean Michel - Basquiat - Omer Tiroche Gallery (Frieze Masters)
Omer Tiroche Gallery highlights the connection between Jean Dubuffet and Jean-Michel Basquiat, focusing on their shared exploration of the human figure. Dubuffet’s Art Brut significantly influenced Basquiat, who, after encountering Dubuffet’s work in the 1970s, began incorporating graffiti under the pseudonym SAMO. Both artists rejected traditional realism, using bold, dynamic figures and vibrant colours to capture the raw essence of human experience.
Their works often feature solitary, ungrounded figures, reflecting themes of alienation. Basquiat, like Dubuffet, embraced collage techniques, layering Xeroxed drawings with acrylics and spray paint. In Red Joy (1984), Basquiat’s central figure highlights his struggle as a Black artist in a predominantly white art world. Both artists, pioneers of Outsider Art, redefined figuration by breaking away from academic traditions and embracing urban life’s chaotic energy.
See the works at Frieze Masters Booth G09
Jean Michel-Basquiat Red Joy (1984) at Frieze, photo: Lougher
