Gap's Art Fair Lounge with Visionaire and Artist T-Shirts at Frieze New York 2014

Frieze New York 2014 featured an unexpected partnership between the art fair and Gap, which presented a lounge space designed in collaboration with Visionaire magazine. The installation included eleven T-shirts created by artists including Ugo Rondinone, Yoko Ono, Mario Sorrenti, and Tony Oursler, some printed with UV-sensitive inks that revealed hidden designs when exposed to sunlight. Rondinone's shirt displayed a blue light beneath a lightbulb, while Ono's showed a blue sky halo around a cloud with the word 'dream'. The apparel was displayed on spongy triangular blocks that served as seating, opposite a reflective blue wall with wooden outcrops. The space resembled an airport lounge with complimentary coffee. Concurrently, the fair showcased works by artists such as Allyson Vieira at Laurel Gitlen, Carroll Dunham at Barbara Gladstone, and Danh Vo's mobile at Marianne Goodman. Allen Ruppersberg presented a restaged hotel installation from 1971, available for overnight stays at $350 per night. The Gap collaboration aimed to refresh the brand's image through integration into the art fair context, though it drew criticism for appearing desperate and incongruous with the event's atmosphere. The fair itself was noted for experimental presentations despite its commercial setting.