‘Frieze New York 2025 Truly Delivered’
Artwork sales and voices from the fair, which saw great engagement from collectors, sold-out stands and an overwhelming spirit of positivity
Artwork sales and voices from the fair, which saw great engagement from collectors, sold-out stands and an overwhelming spirit of positivity
Frieze New York closed its 2025 edition at The Shed on Sunday 11 May, reporting strong sales, an international audience and widespread acclaim for its ambitious performance-led programming. Over its five days, the fair saw 25,000 visitors from 60 countries, who enjoyed art works at more than 65 leading galleries from around the world.
Exhibitors reported strong demand from private collectors, institutions and foundations, with sales across all levels of the market. The fair also saw significant institutional acquisitions by major US museums and university collections, dedicated curator and patron groups from across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and serious collectors from New York and beyond.
New York never disappoints! You simply can’t beat its energy. Frieze New York 2025 truly delivered.
Perhaps most significantly, many galleries talked about the positive and ‘supportive’ atmosphere of the fair. ‘The energy at the fair was amazingly optimistic,’ said Marc Payot of Hauser & Wirth. ‘We’re seeing an even more robust commitment on the part of collectors, curators and institutions to the story of art in this moment.’
Programming
This year’s programme saw a renewed focus on performance and public art. Highlights included Pilvi Takala’s The Pin, curated by Taylor Zakarin, associate curator, High Line Art, a co-commission by Frieze and High Line Art, and Immortal Coil by Asad Raza – a contemplative piece that invited participants to carry a plant along the High Line. Within the fair itself, a new sound installation by Carlos Reyes, Freestyle Hard, added a resonant, sonic layer to the visitor experience.
Nonprofits
This year’s Frieze New York also featured the return of the Artist Plate Project, a charitable initiative supporting NYC’s Coalition for the Homeless. During the fair it raised over $500,000 through the sale of limited-edition plates featuring artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jasper Johns, Rashid Johnson, Danielle Mckinney, Faith Ringgold and Amy Sherald. Proceeds support life-saving services for unhoused New Yorkers.
Focus
The fair’s Focus section, supported by Stone Island and dedicated to galleries founded in the last 12 years under the curation of Lumi Tan, offered critical insight into some of today’s most compelling practices.
Mitre Galeria from Belo Horizonte in Brazil was awarded the 2025 Focus Stand Prize for its solo presentation of Luana Vitra. Vitra’s sculptures, ceramics and works on paper draw on the landscape and history of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. Júlia Maria of Mitre Galeria commented: ‘This recognition is a meaningful milestone, especially as this marks our third year participating in Focus. We look forward to bringing our programme to the main Gallery section next year, continuing to champion bold and resonant voices from Latin America.’
The gallery sold numerous works. Other Focus galleries also reported brisk business. G Gallery (Seoul) placed a major installation by Yehwan Song with a private institution, while Voloshyn Gallery (Kyiv) sold multiple works on paper and a sculpture by Nikita Kadan. Prices in Focus ranged from $2,000 to $100k, with presentations praised for their clarity, ambition and depth.
Major Sales Highlights
Sales across Frieze New York 2025 reflected strong demand at every level of the market, with many galleries selling out their stands. Here are some notable sales.
White Cube recorded numerous sales, including a Tracey Emin painting for £1.2 million, alongside works by Etel Adnan, Antony Gormley, Christine Ay Tjoe and Ilana Savdie. Hauser & Wirth sold more than 25 works by the early afternoon of the opening day, including major pieces by Lorna Simpson, Rashid Johnson and Amy Sherald. Gagosian placed Jeff Koons’s Hulk (Tubas) in the first hours of the opening day. Thaddaeus Ropac placed a painting by Georg Baselitz for €1m and a work by Liza Lou for $225k. Pace placed all six of its Adam Pendleton paintings within the first few hours, alongside several works by Lynda Benglis.
There were multiple sales at Karma, among them a Gertrude Abercrombie painting for $350k. Nara Roesler sold a Tomie Ohtake oil painting for $350k. Kukje Gallery sold works including a painting by Park Seo-Bo in the range of $250k–$300k and pieces by Kyungah Ham, Kibong Rhee, Haegue Yang and Suki Seokyeong Kang. Mendes Wood DM placed Kishio Suga’s Sliced Stones, priced between $200k and $300k, in a museum collection. James Cohan Gallery, Tina Kim Gallery, Goodman Gallery, 303 Gallery, Gallery Hyundai and Southern Guild also reported multiple sales.
On the first day, Perrotin sold out its presentation of paintings by Claire Tabouret ranging from $65k to $200k. mor charpentier sold out its booth of works by Malo Chapuy, while Madragoa sold out its booth of Rodrigo Hernández. Additional strong results came from Chapter NY, Sultana, Union Pacific and Andrew Kreps Gallery across a wide range of media and price points.
Exhibitor Responses
Exhibitors commented repeatedly on the positive and enthusiastic audeince at the fair. Here are some of their reactions to their experience at Frieze New York this year.
Millicent Wilner, senior director, Gagosian: ‘The response to our booth was phenomenal. We were honoured to work with Jeff Koons on the presentation of three major sculptures from his own collection and to sell Hulk (Tubas) in the opening hours of the fair.’
Angela Brazda, director, White Cube: ‘Frieze New York was an exceptional fair that delivered high caliber collectors, curators, and institutions, with significant sales momentum beginning on the VIP preview day that continued throughout the weekend.’
Guillaume Sultana, founder, and Kate Park, director of sales and business development, Asia, Sultana: ‘New York never disappoints! You simply can’t beat its energy. Frieze New York 2025 truly delivered. Once again, it affirmed how art brings people together in powerful, unspoken ways.’
Samanthe Rubell, president, Pace Gallery: ‘Adam Pendleton had a clear vision in pairing his works with Lynda Benglis. The resulting dialogue captured the attention of the audiences, creating conversation and numerous sales!’
Our debut at Frieze New York has been a high point in our journey as a gallery.
Malikiiib Al-Mahrouky, partner, Kurimanzutto: ‘The fair was strong this year. We sold works to high-level collectors and museums in the Americas, including the Dallas Museum of Art.’
Marc Payot, president, Hauser & Wirth: ‘By early afternoon on Wednesday we’d sold over 25 works ranging from $20k to $1.2 million. Perhaps most significantly, the energy at the fair was amazingly optimistic: we’re seeing an even more robust commitment now on the part of collectors, curators and institutions to the story of art in this moment.’
Sam Gordon, co-founder, Gordon Robichaux: ‘Lumi Tan’s Focus section was a highlight of the fair. For us it was a fantastic way to relaunch Jenni Crain’s work and our concurrent exhibitions at the gallery. We placed work with important collections.’
Karma: ‘We were thrilled with Frieze New York. We had so many valuable conversations with both old and new collectors and ended up placing numerous works in local and international collections.’
Hyun-Sook Lee, founder and chairwoman, Kukje Gallery: ‘It was particularly meaningful to see so many opportunities for Korean artists to enter major museum and gallery exhibitions timed around Frieze Week.’
Tina Kim, founder, Tina Kim Gallery: ‘The response was strong, with placements to international clients as well as foundations and museums across Europe and Asia, affirming both the strength of under-recognized narratives and the continued resilience of the global art market.’
Trevyn McGowan, co-founder, Southern Guild: ‘Our debut at Frieze New York has been a high point in our journey as a gallery, in terms of sales and relationships. We experienced stellar engagement with curators, advisors, museums and collectors, and sold 12 important works.’
Lisa Spellman, founder and director, 303 Gallery: ‘We love connecting with curators and our collectors at Frieze New York. The quality and focus of the presentations, coupled with the supportive energy has been fantastic.’
Daniel Roesler, senior director and partner, Nara Roesler: ‘The quality of the fair is solid. Despite initial concerns about the current economic uncertainty, we have had a great start to the spring art season with interest from American and Latin American collectors.
James Cohan, co-Founder and partner, James Cohan: ‘We’ve seen strong institutional interest in our solo presentation of work by Tuan Andrew Nguyen at Frieze this year, with both domestic and international museums moving swiftly to acquire work by a sought-after artist.’
Sarah Durning Cope, senior director, Goodman Gallery: ‘Frieze New York proved to be vibrant from the outset and maintained steady momentum. We were thrilled to place significant works by Carrie Mae Weems, Kapwani Kiwanga, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, as well as works by William Kentridge and Yinka Shonibare.’
The quality and focus of the presentations, coupled with the supportive energy, has been fantastic.
Stuart Morrison, managing director, Hales: ‘We’ve really felt the energy Frieze has brought to New York this week, inside the fair and across the city. It’s much welcomed.’
Valerie Carberry, partner, Gray: ‘We were delighted to return to Frieze New York with a two-person presentation of Leon Polk Smith and Judy Ledgerwood, highlighted in the press as one of the best booths at the fair.’
Luiza Calmon, partner, Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel: ‘Frieze New York 2025 demonstrated a strong appetite for high-quality works across the spectrum. By the end of day one, we had sold out all works by Antonio Tarsis as well as Tadáskía’s, six historical Wanda Pimentel drawings and a collage by Beatriz Milhazes.’
Dakyung Lee, director, G Gallery: ‘It was an honour to present Yehwan Song’s critical perspective on today’s digital environment. More than just a platform for emerging voices, this year’s Focus section offered a moment of reflection and sparked meaningful dialogue across the art world.’
Julia and Max Voloshyn, co-founders, Voloshyn Gallery: ‘We were delighted to be part of Frieze New York this year. The fair had an outstanding energy and brought together an impressive range of collectors, curators and art-world professionals. We were pleased with the strong interest in our presentation and successful sales – it was a very rewarding edition for us.’
Grace Schofield, director, Union Pacific: ‘Our first Frieze New York has been fantastic. The Shed as a venue is great! We have made valuable and new relationships with local collectors and had a great response to new and existing positions in the programme. All you can hope for with a new fair is to leave works in the city you brought them to, and it has been successful for that. We look forward to next year!”
Rachel Jennings, East Coast senior director, New York, Night Gallery: ‘Frieze has been an incredible venue to introduce this body of work to the world. We are thrilled by the response of collectors (private and public) as well as the press.’
Frieze Viewing Room
You can continue to explore Frieze New York 2025 with the Frieze Viewing Room, which is open until 16 May. Search artworks by artist, price, date and medium, save favourite artworks and presentations, chat with galleries and much more.
Further Information
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Frieze New York is presented with Global Lead Partner Deutsche Bank, reflecting a shared commitment to artistic excellence for over 20 years.
Main image: Frieze New York 2025. Photo: Casey Kelbaugh. Courtesy: Frieze and CKA
