Farshid Moussavi’s Top Picks from Frieze Viewing Room
The internationally acclaimed architect selects her favourite works at Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2024, from Gerhard Richter to Biren De
The internationally acclaimed architect selects her favourite works at Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2024, from Gerhard Richter to Biren De
Pierre Soulages, Lithographie n° 36, 1974
Lithograph on Arches paper. Presented by Archeus / Post-Modern. $20k–$50k
I could gaze at this painting endlessly. The absence of hard defined edges creates a sense of openness that draws you in, making you feel as though you’re part of it. The interplay of depth between the bold black strokes in the foreground and the subtler elements behind pulls you even deeper into its world.
Biren De, Girl Waiting, 1957
Oil on canvas, 45.7 cm × 57.2 cm. Presented by DAG. $50k–$100k
I love the vibrant, rich colours of this painting and the primitive shapes used for the female figure, which blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. Her torso resembles a tree and her eyes evoke a half-moon. The sun touches her body, yet the background itself could also be a giant sun. The boundary between figure and ground becomes almost impossible to distinguish.
Gerhard Richter, Grün-Blau-Rot, 1993
Oil on canvas, 30 cm × 40 cm. Presented by Archeus / Post-Modern. $500k–$1m
This is a sublime painting. Its colours evoke a sense of extreme heat and forest fires, reminiscent of the impact of climate change, much like the way Turner’s sea storms capture the sublime power of nature.
Christian Marclay, Stack (Leander Road), 2023
Altered wooden door. Presented by White Cube. Price on application
I love this piece because it exemplifies how an artist can offer us new percepts by deconstructing and reimagining the familiar. I’ve never liked frames around doors, but in this depiction, the frame is not a boundary, but a portal into a different perspective.
Christopher Le Brun, St Erth, 2022
Carborundum etching, 105.5 cm × 78.5 cm. Presented by Paragon. Under $10k
I find this painting a wonderful counterpart to Pierre Soulages’s Lithographie n° 36 (1974) and Gerhard Richter’s Grün-Blau-Rot (1993), both of which I have also selected. In Soulages’s work, colour is employed to create a perception of depth, while in Richter’s painting, an alchemical interplay unfolds between green, blue and red. In contrast, Christopher Le Brun’s painting features yellow, orange, pink and grey hues that float independently across the canvas. The colours engage in an indirect conversation, held together by their non-directional, grid-like arrangement. This painting invites you to appreciate both the apparent similarities and differences among its joyful colours.
About Farshid Moussavi
Farshid Moussavi OBE RA is an internationally acclaimed architect, writer and educator. She is the founder and principal of the practice Farshid Moussavi Architecture (FMA), which is responsible for award-winning projects around the world, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, USA. Her largest project to date, the Ismaili Center Houston in Texas, is due for completion in 2025. She is currently a Professor in Practice of Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
About Frieze Viewing Room
Open to all from 2 – 18 October 2024, Frieze Viewing Room is the online catalogue for the fair, giving global audiences access to gallery presentations coming to Frieze London and Masters 2024. Visitors can search artworks by artist, price, date and medium, save favourite artworks and presentations, chat with galleries and much more.
Further Information
Frieze London and Frieze Masters, 9 – 13 October 2024, The Regent’s Park.
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