Saatchi Gallery spotlights the art world's new sensations at Frieze Art Fair

As Frieze Art Fair becomes more and more entrenched on London's art scene, emerging artists are benefiting from the art mania that descends on the city each autumn.
New Sensations is probably the most visible example of that trickle-down effect. Launched just six years ago, the showcase of emerging artists founded by the Saatchi Gallery and Channel 4 is now the largest curated exhibition to take place during Frieze - partly due to joining forces with The Future Can Wait, a survey of young, progressive multidisciplinary artists set up by artist/patrons Zavier Ellis and Simon Rumley.
This week the combined show in the cavernous Victoria House in Bloomsbury Square includes the work of more than 50 artists, once again eclipsing all other exhibitions save for Frieze itself.
That it's free of charge has certainly helped garner attention. Anticipation is also building as to who will win the New Sensations 2012 prize - a career-propelling accolade last year won by Jonny Briggs. Judges, including artists John Stezaker and Richard Wilson, have already whittled down the vast number of entrants to a shortlist of 20, who make up the New Sensations section of the show. These include the four finalists: Nicolas Feldmeyer, Olivia Poppy Coles, Rafal Topolewski and Steven Allan.
A new partnership is also adding fresh intrigue to New Sensation 2012. The Saatchi Gallery has invited Absolut Vodka, longtime art patrons and collaborators with legends from Andy Warhol to Damien Hirst, to create a competition within the competition. The result, Absolut Blank, selected three artists from the New Sensations shortlist to undertake an original artwork using the Absolut bottle as a starting point.
The chosen artists, Jin Han Lee, Antonio Marguet and Natasha Peel, are displaying the end results this week; the winner will secure a funding for a studio space.
The joint show of young talent at Bloomsbury House runs until 14 October.
’Portraits’, by finalist Olivia Poppy Coles, 2012.
’Peely Wally’, by finalist Steven Allan, 2012.
’Jungle 3 and 1’, by finalist Rafal Topolewski, 2012.
The New Sensations show at Bloomsbury House also includes work by the shortlisted artists. Pictured is: 'Breakfast in Luxor II', by Rachel Hunt, 2012.
'Interests Always Come First', by Natasha Peel, 2012.
'I Am The Walrus', by Amba Sayal-Bennet, 2012t.
'Cometes', by Tereza Zalenkova, 2012.
'The River Song', by Aleksandra Wojcik, 2010–2012.
'This Fecund Lump', by Eoghan Ryan, 2012.
'An Interior Light', by Aileen McEwen, 2012.
'Clay', by Alex Ball, 2012.
'Tattooed Lady', by Amanda Doran, 2011.
'Exotic Juice Tutti Frutti', by Antonio Marguet, 2011.
'Medallion 103', by Bartosz Beda, 2011.
'Perchino Borzoi', by Claire Moore, 2012.
’Stripy Sculpture’, by Eimear Friers, 2012.
'The Forest in Glasgow's Park I', by Hyojun Hyun, 2011-2012.
'Volcano Duck and Three Moo Boxes', by Jin Han Lee, 2012.
'Queen Elizabeth - Fertility Goddess', by Nicholas Dedics, 2012.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Based in London, Ellen Himelfarb travels widely for her reports on architecture and design. Her words appear in The Times, The Telegraph, The World of Interiors, and The Globe and Mail in her native Canada. She has worked with Wallpaper* since 2006.
-
Tuneshine is a new way of bringing back the lost art of the album cover
The compact Tuneshine screen uses LED tech to illuminate the artwork of whatever you’re currently streaming
-
Inside the new theatre at Jacob’s Pillow and its ‘magic box’, part of a pioneering complex designed for dance
Jacob’s Pillow welcomes the reborn Doris Duke Theatre by Mecanoo, a new space that has just opened in the beloved Berkshires cultural hub for the summer season
-
What to see at Rencontres d’Arles 2025, questioning power structures in the state and family
Suppressed memories resurface in sharply considered photography at Rencontres d'Arles 2025. Here are some standout photographers to see
-
Leila Bartell’s cloudscapes are breezily distorted, a response to an evermore digital world
‘Memory Fields’ is the London-based artist’s solo exhibition at Tristan Hoare Gallery (until 25 July 2025)
-
A bespoke 40m mixed-media dragon is the centrepiece of Glastonbury’s new chill-out area
New for 2025 is Dragon's Tail – a space to offer some calm within Glastonbury’s late-night area with artwork by Edgar Phillips at its heart
-
Emerging artist Kasia Wozniak’s traditional photography techniques make for ethereal images
Wozniak’s photographs, taken with a 19th-century Gandolfi camera, are currently on show at Incubator, London
-
Vincent Van Gogh and Anselm Kiefer are in rich and intimate dialogue at the Royal Academy of Arts
German artist Anselm Kiefer has paid tribute to Van Gogh throughout his career. When their work is viewed together, a rich relationship is revealed
-
Alice Adams, Louise Bourgeois, and Eva Hesse delve into art’s ‘uckiness’ at The Courtauld
New exhibition ‘Abstract Erotic’ (until 14 September 2025) sees artists experiment with the grotesque
-
Get lost in Megan Rooney’s abstract, emotional paintings
The artist finds worlds in yellow and blue at Thaddaeus Ropac London
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
It was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
London calling! Artists celebrate the city at Saatchi Yates
London has long been an inspiration for both superstar artists and newer talent. Saatchi Yates gathers some of the best