Art Market Clouds, Sunbursts, and Hulk-Sized Statements at Frieze New York

Frieze New York 2025 opened amid economic jitters, but inside The Shed, the mood was anything but gloomy. With 67 galleries from 25 countries, the fair’s compact scale was offset by heavyweight names and bold new directions. Jeff Koons’s reunion with Gagosian drew crowds to a trio of “Hulk Elvis” sculptures—bronze marvels masquerading as inflatables, brimming with both Western and Eastern symbolism. Mendes Wood DM anchored its booth with Kishio Suga’s sliced Brazilian granite, sparking a dialogue between Japanese minimalism and Brazilian modernism. Digital and tactile worlds collided at G Gallery, where Yehwan Song’s “Internet Barnacles” installation turned web metaphors into hypnotic, barnacle-like forms. Meanwhile, Nancy Friedemann-Sanchez’s lacquered screen at Instituto de Visión critiqued colonial histories with a bouquet tangled in military motifs. From Moon Kyungwon’s veiled landscapes at Gallery Hyundai to Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s interactive, politically charged video games at Public Gallery, Frieze 2025 proved that even in uncertain times, art finds new ways to spark, shield, and surprise. #FriezeNY2025 #ContemporaryArt #ArtFairs #Culture