Frieze London

Frieze London
Name	Frieze London
Genre	Contemporary art fair
Frequency	Annual
Location	Regent's Park, London
First	2003
Founder	Timothy Taylor, Amanda Sharp, Matthew Slotover
Attendance	Approximately 60,000 (varies)
Website	Frieze

Frieze London is an annual contemporary art fair established in 2003 that brings together international galleries, artists, curators, collectors, and critics for a programme of exhibitions, commissions, and public events. Organized by the Frieze group, the fair has been held in Regent's Park and has expanded alongside sister events in New York City, Los Angeles, and Seoul. Over its history it has involved leading figures from institutions such as the Tate Modern, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, and private collections linked to patrons like Dasha Zhukova and Eli Broad.

History

Frieze London was founded in 2003 by the gallery directors Matthew Slotover and Amanda Sharp in collaboration with dealers including Timothy Taylor (art dealer), emerging from networks associated with galleries like White Cube, Gagosian Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, and Pace Gallery. Early editions featured artists represented by Marian Goodman Gallery, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Lisson Gallery, and Sprüth Magers and attracted institutional attention from the British Council, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Serpentine Galleries. The fair’s expansion mirrored the rise of art fairs such as Art Basel, TEFAF, and Frieze New York, intersecting with market events involving collectors like François Pinault and Leonard Lauder and curators from Saatchi Gallery, Hayward Gallery, and Barbican Centre. Over time Frieze London integrated programmes referencing artists such as Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Ai Weiwei, Cindy Sherman, and Gerhard Richter while adapting to crises that included the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organization and Format

The fair’s organizational structure is run by Frieze, a company connected to private equity and partnerships with entities like Penske Media Corporation and has featured directors who liaise with major institutions including the British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and Royal Academy of Arts. Exhibitor selection processes involve committees composed of figures from galleries such as October Gallery, Thompson Gallery, Victoria Miro, Karma Gallery, and Anton Kern Gallery and advisors from museums like Centre Pompidou, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and Fondation Louis Vuitton. Layout conventions echo precedents set by Art Basel Miami Beach and Frieze Masters, with curated sections for established galleries (often including Sperone Westwater and Sean Kelly Gallery), newer programme strands spotlighting artists from Merkur and Kunsthalle, and specially curated projects involving curators from MoMA PS1 and Institute of Contemporary Arts. Logistics coordinate with municipal bodies including City of Westminster and cultural initiatives such as London Festival of Architecture.

Exhibitions and Galleries

Galleries participating have ranged from mega-galleries like Gagosian Gallery and David Zwirner to influential mid-sized dealers like Manuela Göttlich Gallery, Parasol Unit, Galerie Lelong, Perrotin, Arcadia Missa, Chisenhale Gallery, and Forty-Five (note: examples of mid-sized participants). Frieze London has presented solo presentations and thematic booths featuring artists connected to galleries such as Matthew Barney, Yayoi Kusama, Kehinde Wiley, Rachel Whiteread, Anish Kapoor, Klara Lidén, Karla Black, Sarah Lucas, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Tatsuo Miyajima, Julie Mehretu, Mark Bradford, Zarina Bhimji, Keith Haring, Paul McCarthy, Marina Abramović, Olafur Eliasson, Christian Marclay, Isa Genzken, Antony Gormley, Bharti Kher, Joana Vasconcelos, Takashi Murakami, Kiki Smith, Cildo Meireles, Adrian Ghenie, Hito Steyerl, and Nicole Eisenman. The fair often coordinates with international galleries from regions represented by institutions like Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Stedelijk Museum, Fundación MAPFRE, and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

Frieze Sculpture and Public Programs

The fair’s outdoor and public programming has included Frieze Sculpture commissions in Regent's Park featuring works by artists associated with Royal Academy of Arts exhibitions and public art initiatives that cite precedents from the Fourth Plinth and commissions hosted by National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. Public talks and panels have convened curators and directors from Tate Britain, Whitechapel Gallery, Hayward Gallery, Guggenheim Bilbao, Fondazione Prada, and Kunstmuseum Basel, as well as critics from publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, Artforum, Frieze (magazine), and ARTnews. Educational programming has partnered with universities and schools including Goldsmiths, University of London, Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, Courtauld Institute of Art, and University of the Arts London.

Awards and Commissions

Frieze London has facilitated awards, commissions, and prize partnerships with institutions such as the Turner Prize, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Cartier, D&AD, and corporate patrons linked to collectors like Charles Saatchi and Nicolas Berggruen. Notable commissions have been produced in collaboration with curators from Serpentine Galleries, Tate Modern, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and museums that support artist residencies such as The Armory Show collaborations and biennial exchanges with the Venice Biennale, Istanbul Biennial, and São Paulo Art Biennial.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques of the fair’s commercial prominence cite disputes familiar from debates around Art Basel, TEFAF Maastricht, and the role of dealers like Larry Gagosian and David Zwirner, and controversies have involved discussions about market practices tied to collectors such as Carlos Slim and corporate sponsorship from brands connected to LVMH and Rolex. The fair has faced scrutiny over curation and representation issues raised by activists and artists associated with movements like Black Lives Matter, institutions including Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and commentators from Hyperallergic and The Art Newspaper. Debates have also addressed sustainability and public access in relation to environmental campaigns by groups allied with Extinction Rebellion and policy dialogues involving Greater London Authority.

Category:Art fairs