This week, art lovers and collectors will flock in their thousands to Regent's Park in London for the 14th edition of Frieze London, one of the world's biggest and most important art fairs.
Each year, Frieze showcases the work of both emerging and established talent from more than 160 galleries worldwide. Since 2012, it's been joined by sister fair Frieze Masters, which specialises in historic art dating from ancient times right up to late 20th-century masterpieces.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The art fair's origins date back to 1991, when Frieze started life as a magazine published at the height of the Young British Artists mayhem. A core group of maverick artists and gallery owners turned the industry on its head, redefining the very definition of modern art and breaking down its exclusive nature.
The nostalgia of the 1990s is an underlying theme of this year's fair, with the 25th anniversary of Frieze Magazine and the launch of a new gallery section dedicated to the decade. Curated by Swiss art critic Nicolas Trembley, The Nineties will recreate seminal exhibitions made during this time, including Turner Prize-winning photographer Wolfgang Tillmans's debut 1993 show. Also on display are the now-iconic images from Richard Billingham's infamous 1996 series "Ray's a Laugh", which documented the then-unknown photographer's mother and alcoholic father inside their squalid Birmingham council flat.
The 1990s will also be a point of reference for Frieze's celebrated "Talks" series. On the evening of Friday 7 October, The Guardian's art critic Adrian Searle will be joined by Tillmans, former Serpentine Gallery co-director Julia Peyton-Jones and sibling artist duo Jane and Louise Wilson to discuss the changing landscape of contemporary art in the 25 years since Frieze Magazine launched.
In another first, this year Frieze Talks will run a lunchtime series focusing on a single, topical theme. "Borderlands" will cover current issues such as Brexit, Donald Trump's "Mexican wall" proposal and the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, with speakers including Fatima Al Qadiri, Alexandra Bachzetsis, Hannah Black and Josh Kline.
Legendary Jamaican musician and producer Lee "Scratch" Perry will take centre stage on Sunday to bring proceedings to a close while looking back on his stellar 50-year career as the original "Upsetter". A fitting finale to an event that never fails to excite and inspire.
Frieze London and Frieze Masters will take place from 6 to 9 October 2016; frieze.com/fairs
-
5 hastily redrawn cartoons about redistrictingCartoons Artists take on Donald Trump's draughtsmanship, the White House ballroom, and more
-
Bonnie Blue: taking clickbait to extremesTalking Point Channel 4 claims documentary on the adult performer's attention-grabbing sex stunts is opening up a debate
-
Crossword: August 9, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
