Frieze London 2026: Blue-Chip Caution, Emerging Risk-Taking, and the Paris Pull
Frieze London commenced its VIP day showcasing a blend of established blue-chip pieces alongside more adventurous artworks. Gagosian successfully sold six paintings by Albert Oehlen, each priced above $1 million. Lisson moved two Dalton Paula pieces for £50,000 apiece. Pace nearly sold out its five Marina Perez Simão canvases, each at $250,000. Adviser Philip Hoffman observed a significant capital shift towards Paris, leading his firm to deploy its team there. For the first time, Frieze introduced a Saturday VIP hour. Hauser & Wirth reported multiple sales, including a still life by Jan Brueghel the Elder for approximately £5 million. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan acquired three artworks. The event continues until 17 October.
Key facts
- Frieze London opened its VIP day with a market split between conservative blue-chip offerings and riskier works from smaller galleries.
- Gagosian sold all six recent Albert Oehlen oil paintings, each understood to exceed $1m.
- Pace sold nearly all five Marina Perez Simão monochromatic canvases for $250,000 each by the end of preview day.
- Frieze added a Saturday VIP hour (10–11am) for the first time, reflecting increased weekend VIP attendance.
- Hauser & Wirth sold a Jan Brueghel the Elder still life at Frieze Masters for "in the region of £5m."
- Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan bought three works, including a Joanna Piotrowska print for €24,000 and an Anna Ruth painting for £20,000.
- Harlesden High Street sold its entire stand of Marcus Jefferson works (£2,000–£8,000) by the end of VIP day.
- Frieze London runs until 17 October, with Art Basel Paris following on 23–25 October.
Entities
Artists
- Albert Oehlen
- Dalton Paula
- Francesca Mollett
- Marina Perez Simão
- Jan Brueghel the Elder
- Joanna Piotrowska
- Anna Ruth
- Rosa Elena Curruchich
- Conny Maier
- Jeanette Mundt
- Tu Hongtao
- Wolfgang Tillmans
- Mary Stephenson
- Chioma Ebinama
- Merlin James
- Rebecca Warren
- Marcus Jefferson
- Anna Gonzalez Noguchi
- Kerry James Marshall
- Jadé Fadojutimi
- Huma Bhabha
- McArthur Binion
- George Condo
- Tracey Emin
- Michel François
- Thomas Houseago
- Sherrie Levine
- Cassi Namoda
- Cecilia Vicuña
- Milton Avery
- Leonor Fini
- Andy Warhol
- Victor Brauner
- Alexander Iolas
- Riccardo Baruzzi
- Irma Blank
- Adelaide Cioni
- Rodrigo Hernández
- Pieter Vermeersch
- Shafei Xia
- Gianni Politi
- Eddie Peake
- Rachel Whiteread
- Kiki Smith
- Giorgio Griffa
- Victor Vasarely
- Marinella Senatore
- Tschabalala Self
- Anthea Hamilton
- Joy Labinjo
- Lucia Marcucci
- Bruegel the Elder
Institutions
- Frieze London
- Gagosian
- Lisson
- Pace
- Modern Art
- The Fine Art Group
- Hauser & Wirth
- Frieze Masters
- Phillida Reid
- Grimm Gallery
- Proyectos Ultravioleta
- Silät collective
- The Whitworth
- Contemporary Art Society's Collections Fund
- Société
- Maureen Paley
- Royal Academy
- Camden Art Centre
- Harlesden High Street
- Gallery Vacancy
- Art Basel Paris
- The Art Newspaper
- Regent's Park
- Paris+
- Christie's
- David Zwirner
- Xavier Hufkens
- Tommaso Calabro
- P420
- Lorcan O'Neill
- Mazzoleni
- Tate
- Gasworks
- Pilar Corrias
- Tiwani Contemporary
- Thomas Dane
- Avant Arte
- Coal Drops Yard
- AWARE
- Frittelli
- Apalazzo
- Artribune
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Paris
- France
- Guatemala City
- Guatemala
- Argentina
- Berlin
- Germany
- Shanghai
- China
- Arabian Gulf
- India
- Regent's Park
- United States
- Milan
- Italy
- Bologna
- Brussels
- Belgium