Frieze New York 2025 launches with Koons hype, surprise sales, and cautious optimism. Is the fair still a bellwether when collectors slow their roll?
After a week of umbrella weather, the art gods granted sunshine just in time for Frieze New York’s VIP preview—and dealers felt the dopamine.
Yet behind every sparkling sale lurked questions about tariffs, elections, and a two‑year “soft market” that feels like prolonged jet lag. We roamed the aisles, crunched the numbers, and asked whether Frieze can still predict the season’s vibe or merely reflect it like a fun‑house mirror.
Gagosian’s Koons Comeback
Hulk (Tubas) rocketed off the booth wall for a reported $3 million within hours, proving brand recognition still trumps market mood swings. His two unsold Hulks hovered like green bouncers, inviting deep‑pocket sparring.
Pace’s Pendleton‑Benglis Pas de Deux
Six Adam Pendleton “Black Dada” canvases vanished at $165k–$425k, while Lynda Benglis bronzes snagged $275k–$300k. Takeaway: abstraction remains a comfort food when headlines get indigestible.
Thaddaeus Ropac’s Slow‑Burn Strategy
Works by Liza Lou ($225k), Joan Snyder ($210k), and Martha Jungwirth (€85k) moved methodically, but Baselitz’s €1 million painting lingered on reserve. “People are taking time,” Ropac sighed—translation: buyers want dessert tastings before ordering the steak.
Mid‑Range Momentum
Andrew Kreps sold Jes Fan’s silicone‑muscle sculpture for $26k and multiple Roe Etheridge prints at $16k each. With prices under $100k, these booths functioned like Costco sample stations—low risk, quick gratification.
London adviser Arianne Piper framed it neatly: “It’s not the money; it’s the bandwidth.” Translation: liquidity exists, but mental real estate—cluttered by geopolitics and economic what‑ifs—is scarce. Collectors cherry‑pick fewer, sharper buys rather than spraying cash like champagne circa 2019.
Gagosian
Top sale: Hulk (Tubas) by Jeff Koons
Price: US $3 million
Buyer origin: U.S. collector
Takeaway: trophy appetite remains intact
Tina Kim Gallery
Top sale: abstraction by Lee ShinJa
Price: US $200,000
Buyer origin: Asia–U.S. hybrid
Takeaway: increased focus on women painters
Karma
Top sale: Owl for Emil by Gertrude Abercrombie
Price: US $350,000
Buyer origin: institutional
Takeaway: rediscovery craze continues
Last year, Frieze and TEFAF were a polite week apart; 2025 smashes them into a 24‑hour relay. Some advisors predict fatigue, others synergy. If blue‑chip buyers blitz Frieze and then stroll TEFAF’s old‑master corridors, watch for cross‑category swaps: a Baselitz today, a Baroque bronze tomorrow.
Ari Emanuel’s $200 million buy‑out has tongues wagging. Art‑market wonk Magnus Resch imagines dynamic pricing tiers and cross‑over merchandise (think watches next to Warhol). Purists cringe, but if real‑estate‑markup models falter, fairs must innovate or stagnate. Expect pilot projects by 2026.
Opening day proved that even amid tariff angst and election tremors, collectors still crave fresh art—just with more deliberation.
Frieze New York 2025 isn’t the free‑for‑all of pre‑pandemic highs, but neither is it a ghost town. Think of it as a conscious uncoupling from FOMO: fewer impulse bids, more strategic love affairs. And if Koons Hulks can still flex millions, the market’s heartbeat, while slower, remains unmistakably alive.
Ingresa los siguientes datos y comienza a disfrutar de nuestra revista digital.
