Fresh art and keen prices make Zoo a hit

By Melanie Gerlis, Viv Lawes and Bruce Millar | From Frieze daily edition, 17 Oct 08
Published online 17 Oct 08

Straight from the studio, Jorge Diezma’s Pintura Actualidid (detail)

There was a surprisingly direct approach to the external financial crisis at this year’s youthful and alternative Zoo art fair, which opened yesterday. Quick off Travesia Cuatro’s booth (E38) was Jorge Diezma’s Pintura Actualidad, painted last week, which showed a Lehman Brothers coffee cup. This sold for €1,500 to Yola Noujaim, a Lebanese collector, who bought the oil painting for her son who until recently worked for the investment bank in London (now under Nomura’s control). Personal crises were also in evidence as LA’s The Happy Lion gallery sold two out of three editions of a neon by Alejandro Diaz, Happiness is Expensive, 2008, for £5,000, one to a recently divorced San Diego doctor.

At Paradise Row’s booth (C23) the theme was T.S. Eliot’s doom-ridden poem, “The Waste Land”.

“The financial markets have changed so quickly, it’s a reminder of how virtual money is,” said Zoo director Soraya Rodriguez just before the fair opened to VIPs at noon. “I think that the dealers here are pretty stoic and are prepared to promote rather than sell,” she added. Indeed most of Zoo’s dealers had come with very low expectations. “We came ready to make zero sales so anything is a bonus,” said Susanne Friedli at Annex14 (A7), a sentiment that was shared by many exhibitors.

They were mostly pleasantly surprised, with many conducting brisk sales, albeit at generally lower pricing points than last year. Early sales included Tom Gallant’s Even to the Wall, 2008, which sold from Museum 52 (E44) in “minutes”, according to director Matthew Dipple, to a London-based private collector. Paradise Row (C23) sold all four of its Gosha Ostretsov works, priced at £13,000 each—also to a London-based private collector—within the first half hour of the fair’s opening. Arquebuse (A13)—one of the busiest booths throughout the day—had three sales in the first hour, including Nests (White Cockatoos), 2008, by Ruth Claxton, one of this year’s hot British artists.

The fair had a more international showing than last year, with nearly two-thirds of galleries from overseas (last year half were from the UK). Dealers were pleased with the number of international collectors, although there were fewer Americans this year. “The level of collectors is the same as at Art Basel and FIAC,” said Megha Ralapati, director at Nature Morte/Bose Pacia, adding, “but at Zoo you can be riskier with the selection of works you bring.” Charles Saatchi returned this year, although he seemed to be looking rather than buying, while Anita Zabludowicz—whose 176 private collection is a supporter of the Zoo fair—bought works including Jack Strange’s Happy Blinking, 2008, from Moot (A8) and a 2007 wood installation by Sean Edwards from Limoncello (A11), both London galleries.

European collectors were also out in force. Danish buyers were prevalent and bought works including three of Keith Holbrook’s “Colors of…” series at Zoo newcomer David Patton (A1), priced at around $2,000 each.

London’s Riflemaker (E41), now a Zoo stalwart, was one of the most successful galleries at the fair, selling seven works totalling around £130,000 by 5pm on the opening day, including two Francesca Lowe paintings for £25,000 (combined) to a museum and a topical Andrey Bartenev Madonna Illuminated, 2008, which he began working on when rumours of her divorce arose earlier this year. “Zoo is always fantastic in terms of quality of visitors and sales,” said co-director Tot Taylor.

By the end of the first day, Zoo’s narrow corridors were bursting and long queues were forming outside the fair. Yet despite the crowds and the pace of sales, with financial markets crashing outside and Zoo being forced out of its Burlington Gardens venue after only two years (thanks to the incoming Haunch of Venison gallery), there was a “last blast” feeling to this year’s fifth edition. Additional artist projects and floor-to-ceiling vinyl works in the space added to the air of final extravagance.

“Zoo has always existed to reflect the environment and should reflect the market,” said Ms Rodriguez, adding “we could be dramatically different next year.”

&bull The Champagne Perrier Jouet prize for best artist at Zoo went to Scoli Acosta at Galerie Laurent Godin (C17) from Paris. His Solar Panel Flower Relief, 2008 (£2,600), and Cornucopia Vase Pedestal and Floral Brick, 2007-8 (£3,750), were still for sale as we went to print. The fair’s John Jones art-on-paper award went to Clunie Reid at Mot International (D24).