In the first few weeks of October, Frieze launched its first-ever virtual fair “in” London—and, according to gallerists, sales were swift and successful.
Mega-galleries like Hauser and Wirth reported impressive figures, announcing a whopping total of $15 million in art sold on the first day of the fair, thanks in part to a $3.5 million painting by Mark Bradford and a $2.5 million work by Jack Whitten. The gallery also sold a work by Simone Leigh, who in 2022 will become the first-ever Black female artist to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale.
But not everyone reported blockbuster sales. James Holland-Hibbert of London’s Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert gallery told Melanie Gerlis of the Financial Times that the fair was more about making personal connections than sales: “Selling online is not the future in our world.”
Of the more than 250 galleries participating in the fair, many of the major shops had their own viewing rooms, though we only included reports from Frieze’s OVR in this roundup. David Zwirner reported sales of works by Oscar Murillo, Lisa Yuskavage, and Neo Rauch for prices ranging from $$150,000-$350,000 in Frieze’s platform, while on its own platform it sold a work by Lucas Arruda for $100,000, as well as works by Carol Bove, Harold Ancart, and Raymond Pettibon for between $50,000 and $350,000 each.
Below, find an abbreviated overview of works sold during the virtual fair. Although the new online format has increased price transparency, remember that we did not include reported sales unaccompanied by a price or price range in our list, so the galleries that tend to disclose figures are disproportionately represented here.
PAINTINGS
George Condo, The New Normal (2020). Courtesy of Hauser & Wirth and the artist. Photo: Thomas Barrat.
$3.5 million: Mark Bradford, Q7 (2020) at Hauser & Wirth
$2.5 million: Jack Whitten, Russian Speedway (1971) at Hauser & Wirth
$1.85 million: George Condo, The New Normal (2020) at Hauser & Wirth
$850,000: Rashid Johnson, Anxious Red Painting August 20th (2020) at Hauser & Wirth
$650,000: Alex Katz, Vincent and Vivien, (2016) at Thaddaeus Ropac
$530,000: Yun Hyong-Keun, Umber Blue (1975) at Axel Vervoordt Company
$420,000: A painting by Tracey Emin at Xavier Hufkens
$411,000: Günther Förg, Untitled (1989) at Hauser & Wirth
$350,000: Rita Ackermann, Mama, Rear (2020) at Hauser & Wirth
$175,000: Matthew Day Jackson, Flowers in a Wooden Tub (Munich) [B53] (2020) at Hauser & Wirth
$150,000: Sigmar Polke, Untitled (1986) at Anthony Meier Fine Arts
$150,000: Loie Hollowell, Boob wheel in blue and yellow at Grimm Gallery
$130,000: Ha Chong-hyun’s Conjunction 20-53 (2020) at Tina Kim Gallery
$130,000–326,000: McArthur Binion, Modern:Ancient:Brown (2020) at Lehmann Maupin
$125,000: A painting by Sterling Ruby at Xavier Hufkens
$112,000: Anj Smith, False Steward (2019-20) at Hauser & Wirth
$100,000: André Butzer, Untitled, (2019) at Galerie Max Hetzler
$84,000: Alex Hubbard, Gaming Fantasies (2020) at Simon Lee Gallery
$83,000: Hans-Peter Feldmann, Untitled at Simon Lee Gallery
$85,000: A painting by Sayre Gomez at Xavier Hufkens
$70,000: Matthew Day Jackson, Bouquet with a Poem at Grimm Gallery
$64,000: A painting by Walter Swennen at Xavier Hufkens
$50,000: Gillian Wearing, Untitled (Lockdown Portrait) (2020) at Maureen Paley, where a solo show of new works was also on view
$41,000 each: Six paintings by Laure Prouvost at Lisson Gallery
$35,000: Giulia Andreani, Résidente (Allégorie de la musique) (2019) at Galerie Max Hetzler
$32,000: France-Lise McGurn, The Sun (2020) at Simon Lee Gallery
$26,000–64,000: Billy Childish, smoker
$24,000: Jeremy Demester, The Wake (2020) at Galerie Max Hetzler
$18,000: New paintings by Wang Zhibo at Edouard Malingue Gallery
$16,000: Raphaela Simon, Verspiegelte Gläser (2020) at Galerie Max Hetzler
$11,000–16,000 each: A selection of paintings by Li Ran at Aike-Dellarco
$7,000: A painting by Julia Haller at Christian Andersen Gallery
INSTALLATIONS, SCULPTURES, & MIXED MEDIA
William Kentridge, Cursive (2020) at Goodman Gallery.
$600,000: William Kentridge, Cursive, (2020) at Goodman Gallery
$375,000: A Thomas Houseago work at Xavier Hufkens
$290,000: Isa Genzken: Nofretete (2018) at Hauser & Wirth
$250,000: Simon Leigh, Untitled (tea dust Temoku) at Hauser & Wirth
$220,000: Imi Knoebel’s Prinz Igor in C, (2005) at Thaddaeus Ropac
$164,000: Pipilotti Rist’s video installation Fritzflasche (2020) at Hauser & Wirth
$140,000: A sculpture by Huma Bhabha at Xavier Hufkens
$130,000–190,000: John Chamberlain’s Tinsel Rinser (2006) at Anthony Meier Fine Arts
$120,000: Takis, Signal, (1968) at Alex Vervoodt Company
$104,000: Rebecca Warren, DD II (2018) at Maureen Paley
$24,000–59,000: Ancient Egyptian fragment of an Osiriphorous offerant, Late Period XXVITH-XXVIITH dynasty, (664-404 BCE) at Axel Vervoordt Company
PRINTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, & WORKS ON PAPER
Ed Ruscha, Standard Station (1966) at Craig F. Starr Gallery.
$1.3 million: Ed Ruscha, Standard Station, (1966) at Craig F. Starr Gallery at Frieze Masters
$65,000-130,000: Jasper Johns, Light Bulb from Lead Reliefs, (1969) at Craig F. Starr Gallery
$41,000: A work on paper by Thierry De Cordier at Xavier Hufkens
$35,000: Christopher Wilmarth, Nine Clearings for a Standing Man #2 (1972) at Craig F. Starr Gallery
$20,000: A collage by Huma Bhabha at Xavier Hufkens