There’s an old saying about quality: you’re only as good as the weakest link in the chain. That may go for art-fair booths too, but it’s not the middling pictures that pull people in. You need a banger—something that borders on spectacle, that cuts through the noise and overpowers the lure of the Ruinart champagne cart. At the back of the Frieze tent, where the most established galleries plant their flags, having a showstopper isn’t optional; it’s a survival tactic. One talented art world professional told me she calls it the A Wall. “It’s the thing you see first, the most important piece in the booth,” she said. “Whatever the gallery chooses to hang on its A Wall really sets the tone.” Here are a few examples.
