When Frieze magazine held its first art fair back in 2003, it solidified what had been happening on London’s contemporary art scene for the last decade. The city was buzzing, attracting people from around the world, but until Frieze, there had been no single location to bring them all together.
After the arrival of the YBAs in the late 1980s, galleries like White Cube, Sadie Coles HQ and Victoria Miro were on the ascendency, but a central meeting point was needed that could match the verve of what was happening in the galleries. ‘Right from the outset, it was about blurring boundaries and thinking about Frieze as not just a trade fair,’ says Frieze London’s director Eva Langret. ‘It’s also a commissioning outfit with the artists’ projects, it’s an educational platform with the talks programme, and it’s a meeting place for the wider arts community.’
Since its inception, the fair has been innovating the experience through citywide collaborations and free public initiatives like Frieze Sculpture. And 20 years down the line, galleries still bring new ideas creativity and commerce closer together, blurring the lines between art and its buyers. This later evolved into also offering live music and talks, as well as events that spilled out into other parts of the city.
This story is from the November 2023 edition of Wallpaper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 2023 edition of Wallpaper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
DESIGN DIRECTORY - BATHROOMS
The hottest trends, from retrofuturistic scene-setting and sunset moods to sculptural curves and shadowy corners
DESIGN DIRECTORY - KITCHENS
We bring you the chicest, sleekest islands on which to slice and dice this season
GREEN GOLD
A beautifully designed new book, Born in Oasi Zegna, explores the rich material ancestry and environmental philosophy of the illustrious Italian fashion house
DESIGN DIRECTORY - DINING CHAIRS
A smörgåsbord of scrumptious seating
DESIGN DIRECTORY - BEDS
Such stuff as dreams are made on
DESIGN DIRECTORY - LIGHTING
Star performers with a bright future
DESIGN DIRECTORY - TABLES
Serving up the perfect balance of form and function
DESIGN DIRECTORY - OUTDOORS
Alfresco apparatus that puts others in the shade
DESIGN DIRECTORY - SEATING
Striking new ways to recline and shine
CURVE APPEAL
Get into the groove with the latest kitchen from Danish design brand Vipp