Tate Acquires Two Artworks At Frieze London, Frieze Masters

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Tate acquired two artworks at this year's Frieze London and Frieze Masters fairs, utilizing a dedicated fund for purchases. The acquisitions include an abstract painting by Michaela Yearwood-Dan and a sculptural piece by Luis Fernando Zapata.

The London-based museum did not disclose the purchase prices for the works. Yearwood-Dan's painting, titled“Peace Unknown” ( 2026 ), was presented by Hauser & Wirth at Frieze London. This work features yellow, blue, and green tones with glitter, beads, a ribbon, and paper on its surface. It also includes text at the bottom that reads:“IF THEY NOT PLAYING BY THE RULES, WHY THE F K ARE WE?” Yearwood-Dan, one of the youngest artists represented by Hauser & Wirth, has seen a rapid rise in her market, with an auction record of $880,000. She is scheduled to have a solo exhibition at Boesky Gallery in New York and currently has a show at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, England.

The other acquisition is Zapata's 1992 piece,“Barge,” purchased from a joint booth by Galería Elvira Moreno and Alonso Garcés Galería at Frieze Masters, a fair focused on historical art. Zapata, a Colombian artist, died in 1994 at age 42 from AIDS-related complications. His work, including“Barge,” often mimics ancient artifacts and is crafted from papier-mâché. Although less established internationally than Yearwood-Dan, his art has entered collections at institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, the Museo Reina Sofía, and the Guggenheim. Neither Yearwood-Dan nor Zapata had works in the Tate collection prior to these acquisitions.

Karin Hindsbo, the interim director of Tate, commented on the acquisitions:“The works both represent varied and complex approaches to materiality, evident in the large-scale richly layered surfaces and experimental use of natural and found materials. I look forward to the public being able to enjoy these stunning works in Tate's galleries and beyond.”

Other acquisitions at the fair included the Contemporary Art Society awarding its inaugural artist prize of £30,000 (just under $40,000 ) to Okiki Akinfe, whose work was displayed at Ginny on Frederick's booth. Ella Fleck, exhibited by Ehrlich Steinberg, received the Camden Art Centre Emerging Artist Award, which includes a show at the titular institution. The Contemporary Art Society also spent £100,000 ( $132,500 ) to acquire three works for the Whitworth's collection, by Claudia Alarcón and Silät (from Proyectos Ultravioleta), Karimah Ashadu (from Sadie Coles HQ), and Gala Porras-Kim (from Sprüth Magers). Ashadu won the Silver Lion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. Additionally, Arts Council England spent £90,000 ( $119,300 ) through its Frieze fund to acquire works by Armando D. Cosmos, Oliver Osborne, Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings, and Laurie Smith from various galleries.

We previously reported:

Artists formerly represented by the now-closed Stephen Friedman Gallery are exhibiting at Frieze London with new dealers, finding immediate sales success.

Source: ARTnews

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