In early October, London's Regent's Park once again buzzed with excitement as it welcomed gallerists, collectors, artists, and dealers for the city's premier art fair, Frieze. This year's event showcased around 170 galleries from 47 countries, drawing in over 90,000 eager visitors. Among the standout pieces were several sports-inspired artworks by talented artists like Hank Willis Thomas, Joy Labinjo, and Awol Erizku. What intriguing questions did their creations manage to uncover?
At this year’s 21st edition of Frieze London, an interesting shift occurred: renowned galleries like Pace, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and David Zwirner found themselves relegated to the back, at the end of long aisles. This created space for younger exhibitors, who greeted visitors right at the entrance, sparking the discovery of fresh, talented artists. Although there was chatter about a decline in interest in the London art market this year and a noticeable lack of the wow factor in individual gallery presentations, sales surprisingly soared to impressive heights. A fantastic example is The Gallery of Everything, which showcased Czech artist Eva Švankmajerová at Frieze Masters. Her painting, Sleeping Venus, even made its way into the Tate’s collection, despite lacking any hint of sport in its theme.
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I believe every art form is political in its own way. And I think sports are the same.
Do you remember that iconic photo of a pregnant Beyoncé surrounded by flowers? The image, which racked up a record-breaking 10 million likes on Instagram in 2017, captures the singer as a Renaissance Madonna in a floral paradise, reminiscent of the old masters' paintings. The artist behind this captivating shot is Awol Erizku, who loves to breathe new life into classic works, infusing them with a contemporary flair.
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This was vividly showcased at Frieze London, where he presented his piece titled Oh, what a feeling, fuck it, I want a Billion, which delves into themes of fame and luxury. Inspired by the lyrics of Jay-Z's song Picasso Baby, the installation reflects on success and artistic prestige in today's world. Erizku’s work consists of two parts that together create an intriguing dynamic. The first part references Donald Judd's famous Stacks series, featuring metal boxes arranged vertically like the rungs of a ladder. The second part includes basketball hoops installed rhythmically one above the other, echoing the influence of artist David Hammons and reminiscent of Erizku's own childhood experiences in New York. By transforming Judd's minimalist approach into a contemporary basketball court dynamic, Erizku crafted a metaphor for the challenges faced by young artists. By intertwining basketball and artistic creation, he suggests that both fields demand a mix of talent and luck, sparking a discussion on how fame and success shape each artist's journey. Awol Erizku was represented at Frieze by the New York gallery Sean Kelly.
Tennis Doubles as a Journey of Self-Exploration
Another sport-inspired piece featured at Frieze is the large-scale painting titled Doubles by Joy Labinjo. The figurative painter, who has Nigerian roots, was represented by the London gallery Tiwani Contemporary, which focuses on showcasing artists from Africa.
Labinjo focuses on themes of identity, race, and colonialism in her work, and Doubles is no exception. In this piece, she explores symbolism intertwined with these issues, transforming the ordinary act of playing tennis into a platform for reflection on culture and racial identity. She drew inspiration for Doubles from the tennis courts in Clissold Park, which she frequently visited during her research while Wimbledon was taking place. As she put it, "Tennis was everywhere." This sport, deeply rooted in British culture and tradition, became a means for her to explore identity and Britishness. Through movement on the court, the artist transforms a mundane activity into a tool for examining cultural roots, commenting on the role of tennis in British society and its impact on shaping identity.
Matisse vs. Thomas
The fair also showcased an artist who feels right at home in the realm of sports art—Hank Willis Thomas, represented by Pace Gallery from New York. A conceptual artist with a broad reach across various media, he works with sculpture, screen printing, neon, and installation. His creations are known for their critical lens on mass media. Often utilizing iconic symbols from advertising and marketing, he employs these elements as tools to provoke questions about racial stereotypes and the influence of commercial imagery on our perception of the world. He describes himself as a "visual cultural archaeologist," with his works unearthing the profound social layers hidden within the everyday images of popular culture.
At Frieze, Thomas unveiled his fresh piece from this year, Noir et Rouge, which draws clear inspiration from Henri Matisse's Composition Noir et Rouge. However, instead of using paper cutouts, he crafted a collage made from football jerseys. On his Instagram, he remarked, "I believe every art form is political in its own way. And I think sports are the same. Not only because of the massive amounts we invest in it... We need to recognize how much attention we pay to sports. Art reveals the values we hold in society. Art is timeless. Your work will outlive you." He then added a quote from Henri Matisse: "Don’t strive to be original. Be simple. Be technical, and if there’s something in you, it will come out."
A deeper insight into this artist's work is explored in the article HERE.
Formulae, Horses, and Climbers
The collage aesthetic was also showcased by artist Sara Cwynar, represented by The Approach Gallery. Cwynar investigates the saturation of today's visual culture. She has an extensive archive that includes her own photographs, reproductions of famous works, and AI-generated images. Through her collages, she illustrates how the rapid spread of images impacts our daily lives. Her piece Rococo Ferrari from 2024 is part of an installation centered on an alphabetical list of terms suggested by an internet search engine, reflecting how the online world shapes our perception of reality.
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While this next piece may be inspired by a punching bag, that’s not the case. Artist Noémie Goudal drew her inspiration from climbers, specifically from René Daumal’s novel Mount Analogue, which tells the story of a group of climbers longing for a mythical mountain that can only be approached through a unique curvature of space. This work merges illusory photography and installations that explore various theories about the Earth, spanning from antiquity to the present day.
The last piece that caught my attention about athletic performances is Cabinet VIII by Indian artist Atul Dodiya, which depicts two figures on horseback. Who could they be? Presented by Vadehra Art Gallery at Frieze, this modern curiosity cabinet invites viewers to reconsider the art and culture of everyday people while referencing India's recent history. Dodiya explores questions of cultural value and critically examines museum practices, challenging how we perceive and evaluate artistic objects.
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