Sophia Penske is the founder of Penske Projects and an art advisor at Gagosian Art Advisory. Each month, she covers the best of the art world for Coveteur through an insider lens.
As the global market continues to shift, London in the fall remains a defining highlight for art buyers and sellers. The week of October 13th is always one of the most anticipated on the calendar, with Frieze London at its center, drawing collectors, advisors, curators, and artists from around the world. Not only is the fair a highlight of the week, but London’s top museums and galleries show their most ambitious exhibitions to coincide with this moment, often opening the year’s most important shows.
Last year, I spent much of my time in London and came to see the city as more than just a hub for contemporary and modern art, but as a place where the historical and the present coexist. Walking through the neighborhoods, and you’ll pass galleries, historical institutions, and world class outdoor sculpture all within blocks of each other.
Below are my picks for the must-see shows next week, the satellite fairs complementing Frieze, and standout works on view at auction previews.
Galleries
© Ed Ruscha Photo: Jeff McLane Courtesy Gagosian
Ed Ruscha — Says I, to Myself, Says I at Gagosian Davies Street
For the first time, Ed Ruscha turns his focus entirely to paintings on raw linen. Ten new works feature words that rest lightly on the surface, anchored by shadowed lines that echo horizons. The result is classic Ruscha: everyday phrases rendered enigmatic, balancing wit with quiet restraint.
El Anatsui — Go Back and Pick at Goodman Gallery
Following his monumental Behind the Red Moon installation at Tate Modern, El Anatsui is coming back to London with a new body of wooden sculptures. Shaped from reclaimed timber sourced in Nigeria, the works combine carving and painting into layered, map-like compositions that explore texture, memory, and transformation.
Danielle Fretwell — Tablescapes at Alice Amati
Danielle Fretwell turns still life into a study of perception and desire. Apricots spill down white linens, plums roll across silver, and cherries glow in bowls. Each scene is lush yet quietly questioning. Her compositions nod to vanitas traditions while subverting them, revealing how symbols can both seduce and mislead. Like Cézanne’s apple, Fretwell’s fruit astonishes not through novelty but by making us look again.
Victor Man — The Absence That We Are at David Zwirner
This show unfolds like a set of dreamlike images. Figures drift in and out of view, painted in dark greens and purples that create a calm, sacred feeling. Inspired by Rilke’s writing, Man treats painting as a way to hide as much as he shows. Each work feels soft and subtle, inviting you to pause and observe.
Danny Fox — Big Love Baby at Hannah Barry
In this exhibition, Danny Fox shares paintings that follow the course of his life with compassion. Displayed in pink-toned rooms modeled after his studio, the works include still lifes, portraits of family, and self-portraits. Mixed in are invented interiors, bursting with color and pattern, where ordinary rooms become dreamlike spaces for reflection.
Lenz Geerk — November at Massimo De Carlo
Not much has been shared about this show yet, but I have a feeling it will be special. Geerk’s portraits always feel deeply personal, often carrying a mood of solitude, even when multiple figures appear. His painting style borrows from European art history, giving the works an almost timeless quality, as if they don’t quite belong to today.
Peter Doig: House of Music with Sound system by Laurence Passera / dsp London, Serpentine South, 10 October 2025 – 8 February 2026. Photo: Prudence Cuming AssociatesMuseums
Kerry James Marshall — The Histories at the Royal Academy of Arts
Kerry James Marshall reframes the history of Western painting through his canvases that celebrate Black identity with depth and dignity. Blending art history, memory, and popular culture, he reimagines who gets to be seen and how stories are told.
Anselm Kiefer / Vincent van Gogh at the Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy brings together two visionaries separated by time and traces the deep influence of Van Gogh on Anselm Kiefer. Developed in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the exhibition features new works by Kiefer shown for the first time and offers a rare dialogue between two artists connected by their enduring fascination with nature, light, and emotion.
Peter Doig— House of Music at Serpentine South Gallery
The Serpentine is transformed into an immersive listening space, where painting and sound meet for the first time in his work. Using restored analog speakers that play music from his personal archive, Doig creates a multisensory experience. The exhibition features works from his years in Trinidad alongside new paintings made in London, each echoing the artist’s deep connection to sound and cinema.
Fair
Frieze London 2024. Photo by Linda Nylind. Courtesy Frieze / Linda Nylind.
Frieze and Frieze Masters at Regent’s Park
Frieze is probably already on your radar. Together they form the centerpiece of the city’s art calendar, bringing together leading galleries, ambitious installations, and an unmatched international crowd. A few highlights to see this year include paintings by Poppy Jones at Herald Street, Tidawhitney Lek at Victoria Miro, Francis Alys at David Zwirner, and Reggie Burrows Hodges at Karma.
PAD London at Berkeley Square
Now in its 17th edition PAD London brings together 67 international galleries that combine design and art. The fair celebrates exceptional craftsmanship and innovation across 20th-century and contemporary collectible design. Do not miss out on Galerie Kreo and Rose Uniake booths. Additionally, one of my favorite jewelry designer’s, Fernando Jorge will be showcasing new designs!
Minor Attractions at The Mandrake
Minor Attractions transforms The Mandrake into a vibrant mix of art fair, performance space, and nightlife hub, with a program that spans film, sound, and live performance. The fair has quickly become London’s most compelling alternative fair, celebrating emerging voices and fostering a community-driven platform that remains free and open to all.
Echo Soho at Artists House
A new art fair dedicated to women-led galleries and underrepresented artists at Artists House in Soho. Echo Soho aims to amplify new voices and foster collaboration. True to its name, the fair echoes beyond its walls, creating space for dialogue, discovery, and lasting connections within London’s contemporary art scene.
1-54 at Somerset House
1-54 is the first and only international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Named after the fifty-four countries that make up the African continent, the fair celebrates its global scope through a vibrant mix of painting, sculpture, photography, and installation.
Auctions
Hernan Bas - Conceptual Artist #6 (by combining different grave rubbings he invents lives that never existed), 2022
Auction previews are open to the public throughout the week, offering a glimpse at some of the season’s most anticipated lots. These are some of the works I’m looking forward to seeing.
- Phillips Modern & Contemporary Evening Sale
- Phillips Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale
- Sotheby’s Contemporary Evening Auction
- Christie’s 20th/21st Century: London Evening Sale
Where Art Lovers Stay
Sophia Penske
An intimate space that brings stylish hedonism to a genteel corner of Mayfair. It’s where dinners spill into late-night drinks and elegance never feels stiff. The rooms are rich and inviting, the bar hums with the right kind of crowd, and the restaurant has become a social anchor for collectors and creatives alike. With beautiful interiors, amazing service, and a perfectly central location, I’d recommend it for its effortless sophistication and ease.
Claridge’s remains an iconic stay, combining storied grandeur, art deco interiors, and a classic afternoon tea. Perfectly located between the galleries of Mayfair and Bond Street, it has long been a favorite of art lovers. Every detail feels considered, from the marble baths to the discreet, attentive service. The spa offers a peaceful retreat, while the 1930s-style Fumoir, with its dark wood and soft lighting, is ideal for a cocktail after the fair. The price reflects its reputation, but it’s even well worth stopping in for tea or drinks.
A Chelsea townhouse that feels more like the home of a quietly stylish friend than a hotel. With its warm lighting, beautiful craftsmanship, and understated elegance, At Sloane brings a subtle Parisian charm to London. The rooms are calm and meticulously designed, the bar has an easy atmosphere, and the top-floor restaurant glows with stained glass and candlelight. Perfectly located by Sloane Square and the Saatchi Gallery, it’s ideal for anyone who appreciates thoughtful design and comfort.
