Staged annually since 2003 by contemporary art magazine Frieze, the Art Fair presents work from 150 leading galleries around the world, each representing the cutting edge in contemporary art.
The exhibition, which is housed in a temporary pavilion custom-designed by eminent architects, is primarily a sales opportunity for the heavy-hitters of art collecting, but also comprises an extensive cultural programme organised by the non-profit Frieze Foundation.
With an exclusive focus on living contemporary artists, the Frieze Art Fair offers an unparallelled opportunity for interaction among artists, gallerists, theorists, curators and the public. The Frieze Foundation’s programme, Frieze Projects, includes site-specific commissioned works; an in-depth education programme; the cross-media Frieze Music concert series and Frieze Film presentation; and a series of lectures and panel discussions featuring such art-world luminaries as Yoko Ono, Linda Nochlin, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Roni Horn and Fritz Haeg.
Premier Contemporary Galleries
The Frieze Art Fair showcases the selected works of living artists represented by the world's top contemporary galleries, chosen by a rigourous committee. Each year, the selection committee receives over 400 applications for the approximately 150 gallery spaces available.
Galleries who have participated at the fair include the celebrated international Gagosian Gallery, Jay Jopling's White Cube, Hauser & Wirth, Victoria Miro Gallery, New York's CRG Gallery, Lehmann Maupin and Marion Goodman Gallery, and German powerhouse Monika Sprueth Philomene Magers. The fair routinely attracts well over 50,000 visitors.
Celebrity Art Collectors
Since its inception in 2003, the multi-million-pound Frieze Art Fair has grown beyond Europe’s pre-eminent contemporary art fair, into a star-studded event, a highlight of the social as well as cultural calendar.
In addition to art-world celebrities like collector Charles Saatchi and artist Tracey Emin, famous faces looking for that perfect addition to a collection – or just mingling at the many associated parties – have included singer Lily Allen, interior design guru Nicky Haslam, actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Sienna Miller, and popstar and avid contemporary art collector George Michael.
With the world economy in turmoil, art-world spectators will anxiously await the results of the 2008 Frieze Art Fair, running from 16-19 October. The contemporary art market has ballooned in importance and prominence in recent years, culminating most recently in Sotheby's 2008 Damien Hirst sale. The auction emphatically defied expectations of a softening market, garnering over £100 million - a single-artist record. The Frieze Art Fair no longer releases sales figures; but in 2005, when it last did, the four-day exhibition saw a turnover of £33 million.
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