Just as fashion month wraps up, one of the busiest periods in the commercial art world begins: a slate of major art fairs taking place across Europe, America, and the Middle East in the run-up to the festive season. First up? The London edition of Frieze, a longstanding highlight on the global art calendar that draws an annual pilgrimage of high-net-worth collectors, advisors, dealers, curators, institutional directors and amateurs to the British capital.
Anchored by two fairs stationed either side of Regent’s Park — contemporary art-focused Frieze London, and Frieze Masters, which largely presents historical works — the week gives cause for major exhibition openings, brand happenings, parties and starry events.
But just how much is worth celebrating? From a cultural standpoint, London’s artistic heritage — its status as home to some of the world’s most revered institutions and a wellspring for vanguard talent — remains uncontested (and well worth toasting). While recent headlines around the state of the UK art market have typically painted a gloomy picture, on the ground, a palpable buoyancy — or make-do optimism, even — can be felt.
In the context of a more localized art fair ecosystem — with a globe-spanning run of events that even the most avid frequent flier would struggle to keep up with — there’s a sense of galleries innovating by making the most of what London can offer: access to a diverse audience; the ability to take bolshier curatorial decisions; and its uniquely rhizomatic network of creative industries, rather than looking to replicate received formulas. And beyond the art world, players in the city’s broader luxury ecosystem are locking in, too, with ambitious activations taking place across the city’s fashion, retail and hospitality institutions.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Frieze London, which runs from October 15 to 19.
Is London back?
The mood in the British art market hasn’t been the brightest in recent years. “The market has changed across the board, and I don’t think anyone should pretend otherwise,” says Eva Langret, Frieze’s director of EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). “Collectors take more time. Galleries have had to make difficult choices when faced with challenges, and bringing a booth to a fair comes at a cost.”
Chemould CoLab, Jayeeta Chatterjee, When a child itself a mother, 2024.
Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Chemould CoLab
