Frieze New York 2026: Modest Sales, Celebrity Sightings, and a Sense of Duty

The 14th edition of Frieze New York opened at the Shed on Wednesday with nearly 70 galleries presenting modest, studied booths. Sales were sensible and sedate, though improved from the previous year. Thaddaeus Ropac confirmed four sales within minutes, including a 2012 Georg Baselitz canvas for €1.4 million ($1.6 million), an Alex Katz work for $400,000, and Joan Snyder's Buds & Blossoms (2025) for $150,000. David Zwirner's booth of large-scale Joe Bradley paintings (priced $550,000–$750,000) was among the buzziest, all on hold by early afternoon. Hauser & Wirth sold some of four Cindy Sherman photographs (editions of six, priced $175,000–$195,000). Kelly Sinnapah Mary's six paintings at James Cohan Gallery sold out ($25,000–$130,000), the largest to a museum. Almine Rech placed James Turrell's Thought as Thing (2025) for between $900,000 and $1 million. Tina Kim Gallery sold a Ha Chong-Hyun painting for $180,000; a larger red painting remains available at $390,000. Larry Gagosian sold a Derrick Adams collage for under $100,000. Advisors Megan Fox Kelly and Erica Samuels noted the fair remains important for discourse and connections, though less commerce-forward. Notable attendees included Leonardo DiCaprio, Anderson Cooper, Klaus Biesenbach, Melissa Chiu, Sunjung Kim, Amy Smith-Stewart, Jessica Morgan, collectors Jill and Peter Kraus, Beth Rudin Dewoody, Glenn Fuhrman, and Michi Jigarjian. The fair runs through Sunday.