Frieze London and Frieze Masters Deliver Momentum and Vitality in 2025
Read about what sold, who came and what the galleries said at this year’s London fairs
Read about what sold, who came and what the galleries said at this year’s London fairs
‘Frieze London continues to set the bar for what an international art fair can be – curated with intelligence, integrity and ambition. It’s where ideas meet the market, where artists, curators and collectors test new ground and collectively shape what the landscape is, and what it can become.’ – Alexander Gray, founder, Alexander Gray Associates
Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2025 have reinforced London’s position as a cultural capital and a vital centre for the art market. Participants remarked on the strong momentum and active energy from the outset, accompanied by serious buying and significant institutional acquisitions. The fairs drew 90,000 visitors from 108 countries, with record attendance from museum groups, as well as international collectors and patrons, and global celebrities.
Famous Faces
There were major names from the worlds of arts and culture attending, including Madonna, Mick Jagger, Rick Owens, Lauren Halsey, Leonardo DiCaprio, David Hockney, Sarah Snook, Tessa Thomson, Arthur Jafa, Nick Cave, Helena Bonham-Carter, Michaela Yearwood-Dan, Bryan Cranston, Claudia Schiffer, Antony Gormley and Tadáskía.
Focus
The young galleries in Focus took the limelight at Frieze London again, with the Arts Council Collections Fund buying work by Alex Margo Arden (who also won the inaugural Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation Prize) at Ginny on Frederick. The Camden Art Centre Emerging Artist Award was presented to Bogdan Ablozhnyy at a.SQUIRE.
Freddie Powell, founder, Ginny on Frederick, said: ‘We’re truly honoured that Alex Margo Arden has been named the first recipient of the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation Prize. Nicoletta’s support for Alex’s practice and her dedication to nurturing the London contemporary art scene are truly invaluable.’
‘Art has always evolved through acts of rupture,’ Fiorucci said. ‘By artists who take risks with approaches and media that question their time and context. The Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation Prize honours that spirit … Alex represents the new generation of artists in London who are carving our future.’
Aryen Hoekstra, director, Franz Kaka, said, ‘The energy at the fair this year is fantastic and the audience feels deeply interested and engaged. The institutional presence is very strong.’
‘This year’s Frieze has been phenomenal,’ said Jonny Tanna, founder, Harlesden High Street. ‘They pulled out all the stops for us and sales have been incredible, with a celebrity-filled week. We couldn’t have asked for more!’
Gathering placed the majority of its available works by Christelle Oyiri. Gathering founder Alex Flick said: ‘We’re delighted to be participating in Frieze London for the first time this year. Gathering began its journey in London, so it was important for us to make an impression with our debut presentation. The response to the booth has been incredible.’
‘Since the opening day of the fair, the vibe was incredible,’ said El Apartamento director Christian Gundin. ‘We engaged with a whole fresh audience, and in just hours all the works were sold to new European private collectors.’
Major Sales and Momentum Across Frieze London
The fair was a major moment for British and London-based artists, with the Frieze Tate Fund purchasing work by Barbara Walker at Victoria Miro and Lubna Chowdhary at Jhaveri Contemporary for the national collection, while the CAS Collections Fund acquired works by Michael Landy at Thomas Dane Gallery and Shaqúelle Whyte at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery for the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.
‘London had so much quality, breadth and depth to offer this week for visitors to the Frieze fairs, and in the galleries, museums and new private institutions,’ said Sadie Coles, founder of Sadie Coles HQ. ‘The energy was the highest it has been for a while, and visitors were enticed by the pace and dynamism.’
Leila Alexander, global director, White Cube, said: ‘London is evolving, growing and adapting, with a positive atmosphere driven by exciting local developments, including new galleries and some excellent museum shows.’ Notable sales: Antony Gormley (£850,000), two Tracey Emin works (£425,000 and £95,000), Shao Fan ($350,000), two Cai Guo-Qiang pieces ($280,000 and $195,000), nine Marguerite Humeau pieces (£40,000-£200,000 each), Howardena Pindell ($150,000), Harland Miller (£120,000).
Jorg Grimm, founder, Grimm Gallery – who are opening a new space in London – said: ‘Frieze London is always a favourite. No other place has so many great artists attending the fair in what is often their home town, and where new works on display are discussed among peers, in addition to the amazing collectors and institutional network London provides.’
‘The fair this year has been extremely international,’ said Alison Jacques, founder Alison Jacques. ‘There’s a real energy and buzz which we haven’t seen in the last few years. The new layout is really making a difference. It’s clear that the market in London is very buoyant.’
Lucy Liu, partner, Uffner & Liu, said: ‘As the bridge between the US, Europe and Asia, London will always be a node of connection and serve as an essential hub in the art world. We’re thrilled to return to Frieze London.’
World-leading galleries with spaces in London and across the globe placed works by their most significant artists, including Gagosian’s solo booth by Lauren Halsey, which sold out within hours of the start of Frieze London’s opening day.
‘Every conversation I had with collectors was about how Lauren not only thinks about her community but also brings it with her wherever she goes,’ said Antwaun Sargent, director, Gagosian. ‘Right now we’re in London, but there’s a slice of South Central Los Angeles here – and that has resonated deeply with collectors and museums. At Frieze, we’ve made multiple institutional placements and others with serious, long-term collectors.’
Monika Sprüth and Philomene Magers, founders, Sprüth Magers, said, ‘This year’s Frieze London has been strong from the very beginning, with early sales to important collections across Europe, the US and Asia. London once again proves itself as a leading center for the art market.’ Notable sales: George Condo ($600,000), Gala Porras-Kim ($100,000), Rosemarie Trockel, multiple works by Gary Hume ($90,000 each), John Baldessari, Pamela Rosenkranz, 21 works by Marcel Van Eeden.
Timothy Taylor sold out its presentation of Daniel Crews-Chubb, including seven paintings ranging from £70,000 to £95,000 and two sculptures at £65,000 each.
Hauser & Wirth placed 17 new works direct from the studios of artists including Avery Singer, Henry Taylor, George Condo, Cindy Sherman, Angel Otero, Lorna Simpson, Allison Katz, George Rouy, Anj Smith and Christina Kimeze. Notable sales: Ellen Gallagher ($950,000), Avery Singer ($800,000), Henry Taylor ($300,000), Keith Tyson ($300,000), George Rouy ($275,000), Angel Otero ($285,000), Lee Bul ($260,000), Takesada Matsutani ($250,000), George Condo ($200,000), Cindy Sherman ($200,000).
Thaddaeus Ropac said, ‘This week has been a welcome sign that the market is moving in the right direction. We opened with swift sales on the first day of the fair, but importantly we had significant sales over the weekend too. Anyone who came to London this week will have seen a renewed energy across the city’s art sector. It’s a great reminder of just how exciting and resilient the art scene here is, in spite of the challenges of the past few years.’
New Voices at Frieze London
Frieze London also brought new and vital voices from across the world to the fair, with ambitious presentations and major sales.
Trevyn McGowan, co-founder, Southern Guild said, ‘This was our debut presentation at Frieze London and sales were exceptionally strong for us, even better than we had anticipated, with new collectors in England and Europe in particular. We look forward to it becoming a staple in our calendar.’ Notable sales: Zizipho Poswa ($90,000), five Zanele Muholi works ($22,000-$90,000), three Roméo Mivekannin works ($50,000-$70,000).
The fair’s acclaimed curated sections – Artist-to-Artist, Echoes in the Present – brought new voices to the fore and enjoyed serious collector and institutional interest.
In Echoes in the Present, Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel sold a significant number of Tadáskía works at $45,000 each, and Nara Roesler placed five notable works by Brazilian artist Alberto Pitta, ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. Tafeta placed works including five drawings by Bunmi Agusto at £4,000 and £12,000, and Galerie Atiss Dakar sold two works by Serigne Mbaye Camara for $9,000 each.
Daniel Roesler, partner and senior director, Nara Roesler, said: ‘We are delighted to return to Frieze London in Echoes in the Present with Alberto Pitta. Jareh Das’s curation has drawn influential collectors and curators to our booth and special presentation of Pitta’s suspended archival printed fabrics during such a monumental time of the artist’s career.’
Artist-to-Artist was another major success story, with kurimanzutto selling out its booth of Ana Segovia with works priced between $25,000 and $60,000, while Company Gallery sold out its presentation of Katherine Hubbard. Gallery Maskara sold works by T. Venkanna in a £4,000-£120,000 range to collectors such as Yan Du.
‘Frieze London has been an outstanding platform for us,’ said Abhay Maskara, director, Gallery Maskara. ‘We’re delighted that every work by T. Venkanna has found a home with discerning collectors. We thank Bharti Kher for the nomination and Tiffany & Co. for supporting this remarkable section.’
Frieze Masters
There were similar stories of enthusiasm, engagement and big sales at Frieze Masters, where all sectors spoke of the buzz and excitement from visitors and institutions, with several noting a new generation of collectors for ancient and old-master art.
Notable sales for ancient art and objects included David Aaron placing a sabre cat Nimravidae skeleton c.33.7–23.8 million years old to a private collector for a significant six-figure sum and a triceratops skull for £650,000. Rupert Wace reported numerous six-figure sales and Carlton Rochell Asian Art sold a Terracotta Head of a Goddess, c.6th century, for around $250,000.
Rupert Wace, founder, Rupert Wace, said: ‘This was definitely the best opening to any of Frieze Masters we have exhibited at; we saw several six-figure sales, including a museum acquisition. The crossover from contemporary to antiquity has been noticeable and demonstrates the timeless quality of ancient art.’
‘We’re very happy,’ said Costas Paraskevaides, director, ArtAncient. ‘We’ve seen a notable increase in curators this year. It’s good to see museums coming to Frieze Masters. We are happy to share that they have multiple museum reservations on works.’
Patrick Williams, director, Adam Williams Fine Art, agreed: ‘The fair was an extremely exciting place to exhibit – vibrant and buzzing with energy and engagement, particularly from a younger crowd of emerging collectors with enthusiasm for old-master paintings.’
The fair built upon its reputation for stellar works of the 20th century, with majar sales across the board. Vito Schnabel Gallery placed a Jean-Michel Basquiat & Andy Warhol painting for $6 million. Schnabel said: ‘We’re thrilled to be part of this dynamic and inspiring fair surrounded by an incredible depth of expertise and appreciation. Frieze Masters has always been one of my favourite fairs.’ Other notable sales: a Julian Schnabel for $385,000, two Ron Gorchov paintings for $350,000 and $125,000, a Man Ray watercolour for $350,000, a Francis Picabia for $275,000 and a George Condo for $85,000.
Hauser & Wirth’s sales included Gabriele Münter (CHF 2.4 million), René Magritte ($1.6m), Paul Klee (€1.45m), Marcel Duchamp ($1.35m), Alina Szapocznikow ($1.2m), Jack Whitten ($750,000). Iwan Wirth, president, Hauser & Wirth, said: ‘Frieze Masters confirmed that true connoisseurs are independent thinkers. We placed 16 historical works by Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia, Paul Klee, Jack Whitten, René Magritte, Gabriele Münter and Meret Oppenheim – artists’ artists who stand the test of time and appeal to astute collectors.’
Larkin Erdmann, founder, Larkin Erdmann, said: ‘Our presentation at Frieze Masters 2025 exceeded expectations: a vibrant mix of new collectors, significant placements and inspiring conversations.’ Notable sales: Marcel Duchamp (€650,000), Alberto Giacometti (€190,000).
‘We were delighted to return to Frieze Masters,’ said Alana Ricca, managing director, Schoelkopf Gallery, ‘and even more pleased with the response to Andrew Wyeth’s work in London. Frieze Masters is a real connoisseur’s fair, and a fantastic opportunity for audiences to engage with Wyeth’s work.’ Notable sales: numerous works by Andrew Wyeth ($40,000-$395,000).
Melanie Cameron, senior director, Gallery Wendi Norris, said: ‘This year was no exception to the usually high standards Frieze Masters sets for both itself and other major fairs, which was reinforced by the constant stream of visitors to our booth. We were also impressed with the networks that Frieze’s VIP team engaged throughout the week, helping us to strengthen old ties and forge new connections with top collectors and curators.’
Hands down one of the best years yet,’ said Robert Travers, executive chairman, Piano Nobile. ‘And it’s not just me saying that.’ Notable sales: Walter Sickert (£250,000), Grayson Perry (£225,000), Michael Andrews (£200,000), pieces by Paula Rego, Frank Auerbach and Barbara Hepworth, including one for a seven-figure sum.
Curated Sections
Christine Berry and Martha Campbell, owners, Berry Campbell Gallery, said, ‘Collectors continue to be impressed by the curatorial strength of Frieze Masters. The Spotlight section is always overflowing with visitors. People like to learn about new artists through well-thought-out presentations. Sales were the strongest we’ve had in the past three years.’
Joe Chaffer, director, Vagabond Antiques, said: ‘What started as quite a challenging brief to curate after the master Sir John Soane actually turned out to be the most enjoyable fair we have participated in, where we have managed to focus on objects and works of art. The response to that in terms of sales and interest has been enormous. Reflections has worked really well.’
Further Information
For all the latest news from Frieze, sign up to the newsletter at frieze.com, and follow @friezeofficial on Instagram and Frieze Official on Facebook.
