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Today in Focus

Inside Frieze: what can it tell us about art, money and power in 2022?

Today in Focus

The Guardian

Daily News, News

4.65.7K Ratings

🗓️ 14 October 2022

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It showcases the art world’s most cutting-edge work. But the Frieze art fair is also a marketplace where the eye-watering prices are defying the looming global recession. Jonathan Jones explains why this is happening – and if the bubble is about to burst. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is the Guardian.

0:09.2

Today, why is there so much money sloshing around the art world?

0:14.7

So we've just arrived in Regent's Park on a mild Wednesday afternoon and there is,

0:30.7

you can probably hear the hubbub, there are so many people about and this is it.

0:35.7

This is the spot where people come to look at the art, to pose, to blank, to be seen, to see.

0:43.2

It is free.

0:50.2

For London's art scene, it's arguably the biggest event of the year.

0:55.3

The chance to shmuse, to show your stall as a gallery, your value as an artist,

1:00.6

and well to buy and sell a hell of a lot of work.

1:03.8

So you've never been to freeze before, it's a massive white tent,

1:08.6

so you're in some sort of giant gallery supernova, and it's just a constant

1:15.3

barrage of artworks. I mean, it's very overstimulating, something of a visual assault for the eyes.

1:26.3

There are giant sculptural pumpkins courtesy of Anthiath Hamilton, fungi from Turner prize-winning

1:32.1

Taishani, paintings, installations, a pink silk glove one artist is using to tickle the crowds.

1:41.2

What's happening? I'm being fondled.

1:43.6

Really, it's a tentacles, no? Together as one.

1:47.7

We have 164 galleries traveling from 37 countries to be here in London and showcase the best

1:55.6

of contemporary art. Anyone who's interested in art should be here and see the fair.

2:01.4

It's really a unique moment where you're able to see the entire art world in one place.

2:07.1

Friends, it's amazing, everybody needs to come.

2:13.5

People with super yacht tans who have had a lot of expensive work done pose against

2:18.7

very expensive works. Art and fashion students look chic and utterly aloof.

...

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