At Frieze New York, curator Lucien Zayan searches for artworks exploring the relationship between food and art, finding a piece by Aki Goto at Europa gallery that reflects on sugar, colonization, and cavities. The fair features works like David Lamelas's "To Pour Milk into a Glass" (1972) from Dia Art Foundation and Mungo Thomson's "Snowman" (2023) at Karma, while a performance by Kite (Oglála Lakȟóta) at the Counterpublic triennial booth offers a reprieve from the monotonous fair experience.
This article matters because it critiques the art fair's assembly-line, consumerist atmosphere while highlighting how curated encounters with politically charged works—especially those linking food to history and colonialism—can redeem the experience. It also underscores Frieze's partnership with institutions like the Whitney Museum and Dia to diversify displays, suggesting a shift toward more meaningful, less commercial presentations within the trade show format.