Press Release
Frieze Announces Two New Fairs for 2012
Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, the co-founders of Frieze, announced today the launch of two new art fairs; Frieze New York, a contemporary art fair in New York City and Frieze Masters, a fair in London that will give a contemporary perspective on historical art. Both fairs will be launched in 2012 and will complement the existing October fair.
Sharp and Slotover said, ‘At Frieze Art Fair, our aim has been to create a unique destination with an atmosphere that is of cultural as well as commercial value. In the tenth year of the fair, we are delighted to take this vision to New York.
We are also excited by the challenge of Frieze Masters, where we will apply a contemporary approach to pre-21st-century art. We look forward to building on the fair’s existing relationships with galleries, collectors and curators, and forming some new ones along the way.’
Frieze Art Fair
Randall’s Island Park, New York
4–7 May 2012
The New York fair will take a similar approach to that which has made Frieze Art Fair one of the world’s most influential contemporary art fairs, housed in a bespoke structure and located in a unique setting. Frieze New York will be held in Randall’s Island Park, Manhattan, overlooking the East River.
‘New York City has long been a global center for arts and culture, and in recent years, the number and size of local art fairs that attract New Yorkers and visitors from around the world has grown dramatically,’ said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. ‘Frieze has a reputation for hosting worldclass arts shows, and with Randall’s Island Park as the location and New York City’s waterfront as the backdrop, this new event should be extraordinary.’
The fair will house approximately 170 galleries and will be designed by New York-based SO-IL architects. The exhibitors will comprise some of the most forward-thinking galleries from around the globe, bringing an international focus to the dynamic contemporary art scene in New York.
Amanda Sharp, who is based in New York, added: ‘With its extraordinary range of museums, galleries, collectors and artists, New York is an exceptional city for contemporary art, and one of the most desirable cities in the world for an international art fair to be located.’
Frieze Masters
Regent’s Park, London
11–14 October 2012
Frieze Masters will give a unique view of the relationship between old and new art. The fair will present approximately 70 international galleries showing work made before the year 2000, ranging from antiquities and old masters through to art of the 20th century.
Coinciding with, and within walking distance of Frieze Art Fair, the two fairs will, each October, make London the focus for the whole art world. Frieze Masters will be designed by Annabelle Selldorf who will create a contemporary, elegant environment in which ancient and modern art can be shown side by side.
Frieze Masters will include a programme of talks in which major artists, critics and curators will draw out relationships between contemporary and historical art.
Nicholas Penny, Director, National Gallery, London commented, ‘Frieze Masters will attract the world’s most adventurous and imaginative art collectors to London. The fair is designed to revolutionise the relationship between ancient and modern, old and new. It should galvanise London’s art museums and galleries and help them to benefit from the occasion. The National Gallery (founded partly to inspire living artists) is delighted to support this venture.’
The Director of Frieze Masters, Victoria Siddall, added: ‘Frieze Masters will create fresh perspectives on historical art and interesting dialogues between periods, but most importantly will offer a world-class forum in London to leading international galleries showing pre-21st-century art.
The combination of Frieze Art Fair and Frieze Masters in October will create an unmissable week and a great opportunity for a crossover between audiences of contemporary and historical art.’
— End.
Frieze Contact
Belinda Bowring
frieze.com
tel: +44 (0)20 3372 6135
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Press Contact
Richard Scott
relativemo.com
tel: +44 (0)20 7749 4510
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Notes to Editors
Victoria Siddall, Director, Frieze Masters worked for Christies, London from 2000–2004 and since then for Frieze, most recently as Head of Development.
Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover will be Directors of Frieze Art Fair, New York and remain Directors of Frieze Art Fair, London.
Randall’s Island Park is a ten-minute drive from the Upper East Side. Frieze and the island management will ensure excellent transport links by car, taxi, bus and ferry.
Randall’s Island Park is supported and programmed by the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation.
SO-IL are an idea-based design office based in Brooklyn. Founded in 2008, recent projects include a wedding chapel in Nanjing, China; student housing in Athens; and a park pavilion in Amsterdam. They are also designing a new
gallery for Kukje, Seoul. The practice has won numerous prizes such as the MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program as well as the AIA NY Young Practices Award, both in 2010. SO-IL are Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu.
Selldorf Architects has an international reputation for the specific demands of cultural and art-related projects, having completed numerous gallery, exhibition and studio spaces, as well as museums, art foundations and collectors’ homes. Completed projects include: Acquavella Galleries, New York; David Zwirner, New York; Gladstone Gallery 21st Street and 24th Street, New York; Hauser & Wirth, London, New York and Zurich; and Neue Galerie New York: Museum for German and Austrian Art.
Current projects include Haunch of Venison, New York and London; and the renovation and expansion of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Frieze Art Fair, London launched in 2003 now annually receives over 60,000 visitors.
Frieze Art Fair, London 2011 takes place in London’s Regent’s Park, 13–16 October. In 2012 it will take place 11–14 October.
Frieze Art Fair, New York 2012 will take place on Randall’s Island Park, Manhattan, 4–7 May.
Frieze Masters, London will take place 11–14 October 2012.