Focus Stand Prize for blank

Frieze London has given its Focus Stand Prize to blank gallery for its presentation at the fair, which is on view in the capital city through October 7. The prize is awarded annually to a gallery participating in the fair’s “Focus” section, which is devoted to galleries that are 12 years old or younger.

blank offered a group presentation of wall- and floor-based wire sculptures by Bronwyn Katz; works by Donna Kukama that recount the number of years and bodies lost to slavery; and figurative self-portraits in oil painting by Cinga Samson that address themes of youth, masculinity, and spirituality within the narrative of Post-Colonialism.

The gallery was selected by a panel that included Margot Norton, a curator at the New Museum in New York; Christina Lehnert, a curator at Portikus in Frankfurt, Germany; and independent curator Victor Wang.

Jurors commented in a release that blank’s presentation “highlighted the strength of each individual artist” working in a variety of mediums, but also brought them together in a way that is both “dynamic” and “complimentary.” They were also impressed by the level of context offered by the gallery about the works on view.

The news followed the announcements of the fair’s Frieze Stand Prize and Camden Arts Centre Emerging Arts Prize at Frieze. Those awards went to Sprüth Magers gallery, of Berlin, London, and Los Angeles, and artist Wong Pong, respectively.