Art and Design by way of seating at Frieze
19.10.26
WORDS BY LAUREN BULLA
Frieze is arguably one of the most anticipated art fairs globally. Each year, galleries from all around the world come together in one showroom space. Sectioned up by partitions and temporary walls, curators work tirelessly to craft temporary exhibits across Frieze and Frieze Masters. While the artworks span from oil paintings, to photography, to sculpture, and even more experimental mediums, one thing that has grabbed my eye two years in a row now, is the chairs. It’s interesting, the way that each of these galleries hand-select the furniture they adorn these same spaces with. It’s no surprise that every choice during Frieze Art Fair, even down to the seats that gallery assistants sit in, is specific and curated.
Many galleries had made decisive choices about the types of chairs their staff would sit in over the course of the five days. Frieze spans Wednesday to Sunday each October, and I couldn’t help but to think that for some of these attendants… their respective galleries must not really like them so much (obviously said in jest). This is namely to do with the fact that these seating arrangements, while rather beautiful, were clearly also unconscionably uncomfortable. In an extreme take, some might cause serious damage if one were to sit stagnant for the long weekend. Okay, fine… Not actually, but damn, you get the point.
Art in this space is for viewing, yes, but primarily for collecting. I discovered rather painfully the first year I attended, that many attendants are not so concerned about speaking with the press. Unless you also happen to have access to a very significant checking account. Fair enough, they are there to sell art after all. In the case of the chairs, I suppose that some galleries are more concerned with art for arts' sake which of course supersedes considerations like practicality and general use. While the chairs were not supposed to be a central focal point of the weekend, I couldn’t help but compulsively snap them like a monomaniac. Even writing this, I feel somewhat deranged, recounting the legion of Frieze chairs in my head.
Many of the seating arrangements were selected because of the artists who crafted them. In these cases they served the purpose of ‘functional art’. This was confirmed after speaking with some of the gallery assistants. One worker in particular went on and on about the artists’ vision, having crafted them from resin. But when I prodded further, asking if they were actually comfortable to sit in, her tone shifted. She became seemingly reluctant to tell (what I’d deemed) the truth in that fleeting interaction. On the other side of this, many galleries let the chairs become an afterthought. I started clocking repeat seating across various stalls, clearly brought up from some elusive storage area, en masse.
Patterned upholstery here, beautifully stained mid-century modern legs there… Then arrived the brutalist steel forms. Soft leather seats and backing collided with hard steel frames. They appeared intermittently, causing both myself and the photographer I was with, a complete and utter fright. How on earth anyone could manage sitting like that for an hour, let alone five days, is completely beyond me. Most of the chairs were neutral-toned, but pops of red and green cheekily made their way throughout the space. Ah, I also can’t forget the classic metal legged, lucite folding chairs that could be seen everywhere. Common alongside minimalist benches interspersed throughout the venue.
What was also interesting wasn’t just the chairs, but the tables. Particularly the way each of the galleries had chosen to curate them alongside the artworks. Many tablescapes featured details about the galleries, their curators, the directors etc. (obviously). Though others featured select reading materials, floral arrangements, and other decorative items, really solidifying the general feel. While seemingly nondescript, they became short-term worlds for guests to peer into, immersing us beyond the artworks.
Frieze 2027 was filled to the brim with explosions, tire palm leaves, royal blue, everyday devils, casual horror, delicate bouquets, and amorphous forms. While the selection was every bit as interesting as I’d expected, the furniture design cemented this year’s intrigue.
