There’s a general rule of thumb at art fairs; if dealers are willing to talk, they’ve probably sold enough to turn a profit. If they aren’t, it’s a good bet that the going is tough and sales are slow, if moving at all. The mega-galleries often sell as much of their booth as possible before each fair begins, which means they’re usually up for talking to art hacks on the morning of the first VIP day, as ARTnews saw on Tuesday (Gagosian revealed it had sold 80 percent of its itinerary by 11 a.m., for example.) Frustratingly for everyone involved, over the last three years at Frieze and Art Basel, I’ve found the smaller and midsized galleries increasingly reluctant to spill the beans on what’s sold, or, I should say, what has not.
On the floor at Frieze London on Tuesday, several of the dealers in the “Focus” section at the front of tent, reserved for emerging galleries, politely batted me away when I enquired about sales. A few dealers who didn’t want to be named said they were up against it, and at least three said they hadn’t sold anything at all. The pressure is on, especially when the smallest booth in the section (65 square foot) costs £7,000 ($9,400), one dealer told ARTnews.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Several of the 35 “Focus” galleries did report strong sales at the end of Tuesday. They included London’s Ginny on Frederick, which sold the only two works it brought to the fair for between £20,000 and £30,000 ($26,000-$40,000) each. They are both by British artist Alex Margo Arden and titled The Accounts (2025) and Daily Departmental Accident Record (2025). “The booth sold out this morning, with Alex’s sculpture Accounts being acquired by The Arts Council Collection,” the gallery’s founder, Freddie Powell, told ARTnews. (The Arts Council has a special Frieze acquisitions fund.) “Alex’s practice employs theatrical methodologies to interrogate and question authority, authenticity, and labour. These concerns feel particularly vital in today’s world, making it all the more exciting that her work now enters the British art historical canon through the collection.”
Brunette Coleman gallery, also based in London, confirmed that it had also sold out, with their works ranging from £7,000 to £25,000 ($9,000-$33,000). Canadian gallerist Eli Kerr said he’d “sold most” of its works, while Wschód gallery, which has spaces in Warsaw and New York, also told me it had sold “most” of its itinerary (neither gallery wanted to disclose prices). East London’s Public gallery confirmed that it had sold six works by Chinese artist Xin Liu, including one institutional acquisition, with prices ranging from £5,000 to £15,000 ($6,000-$20,000). Gathering gallery, which operates in London, Ibiza, and Cologne, told me that it had “placed the majority” of Paris-based artist Christelle Oyiri’s works, “which range from £2,000 to £20,000 ($3,000-$27,000).” Athens- and London-based Hot Wheels gallery, which won the Focus Stand Prize at Frieze London 2024, said it had “nearly sold out” its booth by end of play Tuesday. One New York-based dealer told me they had “sold lots of works” but weren’t willing to disclose which ones.
When I returned to the fair’s “Focus” floor on Wednesday morning, one American dealer who didn’t want to be named said they were still waiting to seal their first deal. I asked another gallerist, who also didn’t want to named – and who had sold a sole work on Tuesday, for an update: “Nothing to tell you, I’m afraid.”
Despite footfall being noticeably lighter on Thursday, Amsterdam’s Diez gallery confirmed it had sold “a couple of works for under €2,000 ($3,000).” “The feeling among the non-UK dealers here in the “Focus” section, at least the ones I’ve spoken to, is that it’s becoming a very local market, despite the locals trying to communicate the opposite,” Diego Diez, the director of the gallery, told ARTnews. Take that how you will.
This report will be updated throughout the day as sales info comes in.
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