Essential Exhibitions in London’s Frieze Week, from Abramović to Anatsui and Guston
Big hitters and blockbusters make this an unmissable moment to visit the city; see more of the artists at the fairs and on the Frieze website
Big hitters and blockbusters make this an unmissable moment to visit the city; see more of the artists at the fairs and on the Frieze website
Marina Abramović at the Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy stages the first major solo show in the UK of celebrated performance artist Marina Abramović. Four of Abramović’s acclaimed performance pieces, which pioneered the use of the live body, are reperformed in the galleries, alongside objects, photographs and videos documenting the span of her practice.
At the fairs: Abramović is a prominent presence at Frieze London, with the artist's works presented by Sean Kelly, Lia Rumma and Galerie Krinzinger, who foregrounds the artist's series Energy Clothes, consisting of a series of objects to be worn as clothing during daily routines.
Watch: An Intimate Talk with Narina Abramović in Her New York Loft
‘Marina Abramović’ is on view at The Royal Academy of Arts until 1 January 2024
El Anatsui at Tate Modern
El Anatsui unveils his monumental commission for Tate Modern’s iconic Turbine Hall. Continually expanding the potential of sculpture, Anatsui fuses African aesthetic traditions with global abstraction.
At the fairs: This new work is set in context by Jack Shainman’s solo presentation at Frieze London, which considers how the artist weaves the same themes and concerns through diverse materials.
Read: El Anatsui Takes on the Turbine Hall
‘Hyundai Commission: El Anatsui’ is on view atTate Modern from 10 October 2023 to14 April 2024
Georg Baselitz at Serpentine
Serpentine’s exhibition of Georg Baselitz comprises sculptures and drawings to offer a rare view of this esteemed artist’s studio practices and processes. Outside the gallery, in the Royal Parks, Zero Dom (Zero Dome), a staggering nine-metre-high sculpture, is presented for the first time in the UK.
‘Georg Baselitz: Sculptures 2011-2015’ in on view at Serpentine South Gallery until 7 January 2024
Nicole Eisenman at Whitechapel Gallery
'Nicole Eisenman: What Happened' at Whitechapel foregrounds the artist’s commitment to the most urgent issues of today: gender, sexual politics and political turmoil in the United States. The exhibition features many works shown in the UK for the first time and demonstrates Eisenman’s inventive approach to a variety of media, from painting to animation.
Read: Isabel Waidner on Nicole Eisenman’s Literary Influences
‘Nicole Eisenman: What Happened’ is on view at Whitechapel Gallery from 11 October 2023 to 14 January 2024
Frans Hals (and Céline Condorelli) at The National Gallery
The first major retrospective Frans Hals in more than 30 years, opens up these compelling portraits by the 17th century Dutch master to a new generation, reuniting Hals’s major paintings from museums and private collections across the world. Also at the National Gallery: a chance to see Céline Condorelli’s new commission, Penitmenti (2023), in situ among French school masterpieces.
At the fairs: At Frieze Masters this year, Salomon Lilian offers the opportunity to discover one further masterful portrait: Portrait of a 50 Year Old Man (1635) will be shown for the first time in Europe for 112 years.
Read: Céline Condorelli's Life in Fragments
‘The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Frans Hals’ is on view at the National Gallery until 21 January 2024. 'Celine Condorelli: Pentimenti (The Corrections)’ is on view at the National Gallery until 7 January 2024.
Philip Guston at Tate Modern
Tate Modern presents its iteration of a much-anticipated travelling retrospective of Philip Guston, a titanic figure of 20th century art. Drawing together the artist's early activism, turn to abstraction and beloved later works, the exhibition aims to provie new insight into the artist’s personal and political outlook.
At the fairs: Hauser & Wirth’s presentation at Frieze Masters this year focusses on Guston’s 1950s–70s, featuring Calm Sea (1977), which is positioned in dialogue with Black Sea (1977), included in the Tate show.
Read: Philip Guston Says ‘There Is Nothing To Do now But Paint My Life’
‘Philip Guston’ is on view at Tate Modern until 25 February 2024
Sarah Lucas at Tate Britain
Sarah Lucas is the subject of a major survey at Tate Britain comprising more than 75 works that position her as one of the key figures of her generation. From early works included in Damien Hirst’s legendary ‘Freeze’ to new sculptures revealed for the very first time, this exhibition celebrates Lucas’s untiring interrogation of the potential of everyday objects and the female body.
At the fairs: Marking Frieze London’s 20th anniversary, Sadie Coles HQ shows Lucas in a fair presentation that mirrors the gallery’s first Frieze stand in 2003.
Read: Five Writers Celebrate the Work of Sarah Lucas
‘Sarah Lucas: Happy Gas’ is on view at Tate Britain until 14 January 2024
Main image: Ulay and Marina Abramović, Imponderabilia, 1977. Courtesy: © Ulay / Marina Abramović Archives
