London has been captivated by the Frieze Art Fair 2013.

London has been captivated by the Frieze Art Fair 2013.

David Franchi – Saturday, 2nd November 2013.

Muffled Drums by Terry Adkins (form DArkwater) 2003, selected for the Outset Freize Art Fair Fund © LondonArtReviews.com

Frieze Art Fair 2013, London, has been another successful event. The biggest fair in the UK has confirmed to be one of the leading art business places in the world.

With its numerous events and activities, Frieze Art Fair shakes up the elitist secluded art sector in London and brings together a massive amount of art events that it is almost impossible to follow up everything. The list is long and probably not exhaustive. There are so many small hidden exhibitions and events that some are almost invisible.

The fact is people found it difficult to attend to so many fairs in the same 3- 4 days. Not even running one can properly visit all these art events. Therefore, it is important to organise better, maybe a “The Month of London Art”.

Once said that, Frieze Art Fair 2013 has been the major event, overwhelming the others both for visitors and exhibitors.

Frieze Art Fair 2013, located in London’s hotspot Regent’s Park, has organised an amount of side events. In between them Frieze Projects a programme of artists’ commissions realised annually, and Frieze Music, the off-site music programme, with Meredith Monk American composer, singer and performer who presented a performance for Frieze London 2013, co-commissioned by Frieze Foundation and Liverpool Biennial.

Moreover, Frieze Film is the programme of artist films commissioned by Frieze Foundation and screened to coincide with Frieze London.

Frieze Masters Talks programme explored how contemporary artists engage with art throughout the ages. Also Frieze Talks is a daily

Eduardo Basualdo, TEORIA, 2013 © LondonArtReviews.com

programme of lectures, conversations and panel debates that take place in the auditorium at Frieze London. The talks programme provides a forum to discuss some of the most pertinent issues in contemporary art and culture today.

In 2013 the Frieze Sculpture Park included works from both Frieze London and Frieze Masters.

This year the Stand Prize was sponsored by Champagne Pommery which consists in a £10,000 award to the most innovative gallery stand at the fair, and the winner were Cabinet, London.

This is the eleventh year of the unique partnership between Outset, Frieze and Tate. Outset is a charitable foundation focused on supporting new art, funding Tate to buy important works at the fair for the national collection. The following works have been acquired as gifts to the Tate Collection: Terry Adkins, Muffled Drums (from Darkwater) (2003) from Salon 94, New York; Christina Mackie, The Dies (2008) from Supporitco Lopez, Berlin; James Richards, Not Blacking Out, Just Turning the Lights Off (2011) from Rodeo Gallery, Istanbul; Sturtevant Trilogy of Transgression (2004) from Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London.

The Emdash Award 2013 went to Pilvi Takala, Finland. The Emdash Award allows an emerging artist based outside the UK to realise a major project at Frieze London as a part of the Frieze Projects programme.

Sasha II by Richard Phillips 2012 © LondonArtReviews.com

Frieze proved a positive experience for both established galleries and new participants alike, with 152 galleries from 30 territories coming together for the event this year. Across the two fairs visitor numbers reached in the region of 70,000 during the six days of their opening.

Frieze London ended with participating galleries remarked upon a lively market for contemporary art and showed their approval for the new layout and refinements in the design. For the second year, the addition of Frieze Masters, a fair dedicated to art from ancient to modern that coincides with the contemporary fair, proved to be a successful formula. Combined, the two fairs brought together a wide spectrum of art audiences.

This year marked the tenth year of the partner- ship between Frieze and main sponsor Deutsche Bank. Frieze London 2013 can also boasts a new partnership with Alexander McQueen becoming Associate Sponsor, with its London store presenting contemporary art throughout the Frieze week.

Frieze Art Fair and Frieze Masters were at Regent’s Park, London, from the 17th to 20th October 2013.