in Frieze London , News | 24 JAN 25

Takes on: Condo 2025

The word on the street from artists, curators, collectors and more at London’s annual global gallery festival

in Frieze London , News | 24 JAN 25

It’s that time of year again when multiple global art scenes land in London for Condo. This edition sees 27 international galleries showing at 22 spaces in the capital, with visitors from as far afield as Guatemala City, Luanda and Los Angeles.

Sophie Pole against brick wall with hanging art
Sophie Barrett-Pouleau (Artist Liaison, Harlesden High Street gallery) at Phillida Reid hosting Ehrlich Steinberg, Los Angeles

‘For first thing in January, this sense of collaboration has got a really good pulse to it,’ says Sophie Barrett-Pouleau of Harlesden High Street gallery, as those taking part (or just checking it out) explain what they love about Condo and what they hope for in the rest of 2025. 

Selim Bouafson (collector, London)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?  

I started today at Carlos/Ishikawa, who are hosting Jason Haam from Seoul – and I’m excited to see Proyectos Ultravioleta at The Sunday Painter, Gypsum at Union Pacific and Marfa at Sylvia Kouvali. Supporting artists from the Middle East! 

Selim Bouafson holding up bag
Collector Selim Bouafson at Carlos/Ishikawa hosting Jason Haam, Seoul

What are you hoping for in 2025? 

This week, we’re announcing a Gasworks residency for Tunisia. So what I want to focus my energy on this year is to help build a stronger art world community for North Africa.

Vanessa Onwuemezi (writer, London)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

I’m really loving this show here of Joanne Burke at Soft Opening. It kind of reminds me of being in the British Museum, looking at Egyptian artefacts or Roman jewellry. I really like the atmosphere they’ve created and the focus on the objects.  

Vanessa Onwuemezi, Selvi May Akyildiz and Angela Krieger against white walls
L-R: artist Angela Krieger, Vanessa Onwuemezi and Selvi May Akyildiz (director, Frieze No.9 Cork Street) at Soft Opening hosting Derosia, New York

What are you hoping for in 2025?

My resolution for 2025 is to be myself, very very fiercely. 

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)?

David Attenborough. He’s, what, nearly a century old? I’d love to have a century’s worth of experience in my home for an evening. 

Polly Staple (independent curator, London) 

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today?

Something I haven’t seen before. 

Polly Staple green coat in profile
Polly Staple at Project Native Informant hosting Nova Contemporary, Bangkok 

What are you hoping for this year?

To remain calm at all times.  

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)? 

Janet Frame. I’m currently reading her great book The Edge of the Alphabet.

Nada Elkalaawy (artist, London)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

I’m looking forward to exploring the galleries in east London – Ginny on Frederick, Public – and Phillida Reid. 

Nada Elkalaawy next to her painting
Nada Elkalaawy (Artist) at at Union Pacific, hosting Gypsum, Cairo and blank projects, Cape Town

What are you hoping for in 2025?

Paint more, exercise more. I would love to see more painting come out of Egypt in 2025. In terms of the world, I’m hoping for less war. 

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)? 

I would like to host Alastair Mackinven. He recently passed away. He was a tutor at the Slade, where I studied. I wish I could have one more chat with him.

Ace Ehrlich (co-founder, Ehrlich Steinberg, Los Angeles)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

There’s such a great vibe and the community seems to be experiencing a boost of energy. It feels like how Frieze Week activates LA. After the fires, I think that everybody’s like, ‘Let’s keep living. Let’s rebuild, come back strong and support each other.’ And that’s what’s happening. For Condo, I’m looking forward to going to Brunette Coleman, I know the gallery they’re hosting from New York, Francis Irv.

Ace Arhlich against wall mounted Abbas Zahedi work
Ace Ehrlich (co-founder, Ehrlich Steinberg) at Phillida Reid hosting Ehrlich Steinberg, Los Angeles

Eva Langret (director, Frieze London)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

Sandra Poulson presented by Jahmek Contemporary Art, hosted by Sadie Coles; Dominique White and Lewis Hammond at Arcadia Missa with Veda; Raque Ford presented by Good Weather and hosted by Ginny on Frederick. Public opened their new space last week so it’s also a good moment to pop in to see their first show. 

Eva Langret outside Sylvia Kouvali gallery
Eva Langret (director, Frieze London) at Sylvia Kouvali hosting Marfa’ Projects, Beirut

What are you hoping for in 2025?

Action against the rise of the extreme right and climate breakdown, and taming the grip of social media on people’s minds 

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)?

Nina Simone.

People squatting to look at art
Benjamin Miller (designer) and Unu Sohn (sculptor). Installation view at Sylvia Kouvali hosting Marfa’ Projects

Sandra Poulson (artist) and Mehak Vieira (co-founder, Jahmek Contemporary Art)  

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?  

SP Seeing galleries in debate is a really special thing – worlds colliding and collaborating.

MV It’s incredible as a gallerist, especially one based in Angola, to be able to access London with such a special host, Sadie Coles, and what they represent. 

2 women with bed frame artwork
Artist Sandra Poulson and Mehak Vieira (co-founder, Jahmek Contemporary Art) at Sadie Coles HQ hosting Jahmek Contemporary Art, Luanda

What are you hoping for in 2025?  

MV Well, we have so much happeningpossible fairs, possibly artists in biennales… Sandra’s got a show at MoMA PS1 in April, so we’re hoping for success with that. It’s going to be a super-exciting year.  

Freddie Powell (founder, Ginny on Frederick, London)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

Gordon Robichaux at Hollybush Gardens, nearby, looks really fantastic. I saw the Pati Hill works that Air de Paris are showing at Maureen Paley (Studio M) and they are pretty mindblowing. From the ’70s! 

gallerist and artist against painting
Haynes Riley (founder, Good Weather) and Kiki Xuebing Wang (artist) at Ginny on Frederick hosting Good Weather, Chicago and Little Rock

What are you hoping for in 2025? 

World peace, local prosperity and a really good martini. 

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)?

Princess Diana. She would have the best secrets, I’m sure. 

Feet on dance floor
Dancing shoes at the ready on work by Raque Ford, presented by Good Weather

Lisa Modiano (associate director, The Sunday Painter, London)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?  

I’m excited to see what’s going on. The art world needs to be more open.

What are hoping for in 2025?

More collaboration. And opening-up gallery spaces like this to people who haven’t been to art school.

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)? 

Paula Rego. Her work is so unflinching.

George Binda Celeste Alexandrino Gabriel Ferreira Da Silva (artist, Copenhagen)

Artist with wooden mask
George Binda Celeste Alexandrino Gabriel Ferreira Da Silva at The Sunday Painter hosting Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala City

What are you hoping for in 2025?  

Peace of mind. And courage.

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)? 

Maya Angelou. I like her perspective on life.

Abi Wright (co-founder, @BLKARTMAP)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

Gordon Robichaux at Hollybush Gardens. I’m really interested in the connection of the artists (Janet Olivia Henry and Cynthia Hawkins) to Just Above Midtown, a New York gallery which foregrounded African-American artists and artists of colour in the ’70s and ’80s. I also loved the presentation of Sandra Poulson, presented by Jahmek Contemporary Art at Sadie Coles.

Woman looking at hanging art in blue hat
Abi Wright (co-founder, @blkartmap) at Hollybush Gardens hosting Gordon Robichaux, New York

What are you hoping for in 2025?

We’ve been working on @blkartmap for two years and it’s grown quite organically, but we’d love to see it grow further and support even more artists. 

Sutima Sucharitakul (founder and director, Nova Contemporary, Bangkok)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

It’s our first time doing anything in Europe and it’s great to be doing a gallery exchange with one of our favourite galleries in London. But if I had to name a few: Project Native Informant and Emalin. I have great respect for an established gallery like Sadie Coles HQ with what they are doing with Condo, hosting Jahmek Contemporary Art.

Sutima (right)
Sutima Sucharitakul (right) at Project Native Informant hosting Nova Contemporary, Bangkok

What are you hoping for in 2025?  

I really hope for a strong dialogue between Asia, America and Europe. What we need for a young market like Thailand is dialogue and conversation.

Nicole Estilo Kaiser (director, Public Gallery)

What are you hoping for in 2025? 

We’ve just opened our new expanded exhibition space at 89 Middlesex Street. So, I guess 2025 will be all about programming there – we have an 18-person group show on view right now.

Woman in black posing
Nicole Estilo Kaiser at Public Gallery hosting The Breeder, Athens and Martins&Montero, Brussels and São Paulo 

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)? 

Maggie Nelson. I just read The Argonauts, and I would love to sit down with her and have a conversation.

Anna Eaves and Ted Targett (co-founders, Brunette Coleman) and Sam Marion Wilken (co-founder, Francis Irv)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

TT At Maureen Paley, there’s an exhibition with Air de Paris showing the estate of Pati Hill with Wolfgang Tillmans, which I think will be an interesting juxtaposition. And it’s photography! I’m hearing there’s a lot of photography at Condo shows which is nice… Photography’s going to make a comeback this year. 

SMW I feel like Brunette Coleman is very analogous to our programme. Our galleries are kinda like girlfriend and boyfriend. Brunette Francis or Brunette Irv is not bad… Otherwise, I’m looking forward to seeing Derosia, hosted by Soft Opening. 

4 people posing for pic
Ted Targett and Anna Eaves (co-founders, Brunette Coleman), artist Zazou Roddam and Sam Marion Wilken (co-founder, Francis Irv) at Brunette Coleman hosting Francis Irv, New York

What are you hoping for in 2025?

AWe’re trying to do less shows but dedicate more time to each show, like 6-week shows. 

TT Yes, slower, more thoughtful programming. But also keep testing what this room can do.

SMW Personally? Quit smoking!

 Lin Lei (collector, Paris) 

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered? 

This is actually the first show I’ve come to today. I’m a huge fan of photography, and this has blown me away. But I’m excited to explore more of London this weekend. There is a lot to see in this city! 

Lin Lei (left)
Collector Lin Lei and Justine do Spirito Santo (director, Air de Paris) at Maureen Paley Studio M hosting Air de Paris, Paris

Ema O’Donovan (founder, Xxijra Hii gallery, London)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

We’re just about to go into Hot Wheels, hosting Empty Gallery from Hong Kong. We’re also looking forward to Ginny on Frederick who are hosting Good Weather. They are a really great gallery from Chicago who are showing their artist Raque Ford, who’s created a dancefloor in the gallery, with paintings by Kiki Xuebing Wang. Then we’re heading east to Emalin [hosting Antenna Space, Shanghai] and will end up at The Approach [hosting Philipp Zollinger, Zurich, and Sophie Tappeiner, Vienna]. 

Woman in black cap
Ema O’Donovan at Hot Wheels hosting Empty Gallery, Hong Kong

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)? 

Björk… because Björk. I’d collaborate on some kind of generative sound-making meal, where each ingredient contributes to the listening experience. 

Crowd talking about art
Alexander Lau (Senior director, Empty Gallery) talking to crowds at Hot Wheels hosting Empty Gallery, Hong Kong

Philipp Zollinger (founder, Philipp Zollinger, Zürich)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?  

The Approach has always been my favourite gallery in London. So Condo is a dream came true for me – it’s one of the biggest moments in my gallery’s history. 

What are you hoping for in 2025?

I always say that being a gallerist means that we are in the business of hope, so we just do what we can, and the rest other people decide. 

man in checked blazer in front of painting
Philipp Zollinger (Founder, Philipp Zollinger) at The Approach hosting Philipp Zollinger, Zürich

Jason Haam (founder, Jason Haam, Seoul)

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)?

‘I’d love to host Larry Gagosian in my gallery. Yeah, that’d be fun!’ 

Man eating apple in front of photograph
Jason Haam at Carlos/Ishikawa hosting Jason Haam, Seoul

Hannah Hoebeke (student, London)

What are you looking forward to seeing at Condo today, or what have you already discovered?

Discovering new things, perhaps work that isn’t immediately obvious, tucked away in a corner...

 

What are you hoping for in 2025?

In the world? Ceasefire! In terms of art and culture, more spaces for play and experimentation.

Who would be your dream person to host (living or dead)?

Nan Goldin. 

Pink hair girl and friend between photography work
Hannah Hoebeke (right) at Arcadia Missa hosting 243 Luz, Margate, Roland Ross, Margate, and Veda, Florence 

Condo London 2025, a collaborative exhibition by 49 galleries across 22 spaces, is open until 15 February 2025.

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