Frieze New York: New Programs, Curators and Layout

Frieze New York returns to Randall’s Island Park from May 4 – 6, 2018, with Preview Days on May 2 and 3. The seventh edition introduces new programs, curators and a fresh layout to showcase more than 190 galleries from 30 countries, presenting an extraordinary cross-section of work by international artists, from newly discovered talents to the most influential figures of the 20th century. Tickets are now on sale.

Led by Victoria Siddall (Director, Frieze Fairs) and newly appointed Artistic Director Loring Randolph, Frieze New York builds on its commitment to innovation and boundary-pushing practice with new programs led by international curators from major institutions.

The 2018 fair campaign, pictured above and across the Fairs site, takes inspiration from the Lunch Poems of Frank O’Hara, written during his tenure at MoMA, as Art Director Amy Preston explains. 

Innovations and New Curatorial Input

For the first time, the New York edition will feature Live, a platform for performances, installations and interactive projects throughout the fair, curated by Adrienne Edwards (Performa, New York / Walker Art Center, Minneapolis).

Edwards will also curate the Frieze Artist Award, which debuts at Frieze New York: an international open call for an emerging artist to realize a site-specific work, the commission is supported by the LUMA Foundation.

The fair will also feature its first-ever themed section, For Your Infotainment/Hudson and Feature Inc., curated by Matthew Higgs (White Columns, New York) and paying homage to Hudson’s Feature Inc. gallery in New York, which launched the careers of many pioneering artists in the 1980s and ’90s. 

Curators Andrew Bonacina (The Hepworth, Wakefield) and Laura McLean-Ferris (Swiss Institute, New York) – taking over from Ruba Katrib (MoMA PS1, New York) – will oversee ambitious solo shows by 19 emerging galleries in Frame.

Toby Kamps (Blaffer Art Museum, University of Houston), will return as curator of Spotlight, a section dedicated to 20th century pioneers which expands to 35 presentations this year.

Participating in Frieze New York for the first time is Allied Editions, a collective of non-profit institutions offering visitors the opportunity to purchase affordable artworks by prominent artists – including Artists Space, CCS Bard, SculptureCenter and Triple Canopy.

‘This year’s exhibitor list combines the strongest galleries in the world with the most interesting young galleries from New York and beyond, so Frieze New York promises a diverse range of work from the blue-chip to new discoveries. Alongside this, the contributions of leading curators including Adrienne Edwards and Matthew Higgs make this an unmissable event. Loring Randolph, the new Artistic Director of the fair, and I have worked closely with Universal Design Studio on a new look for the fair and this will make the seventh edition a fresh and exciting experience. Following record museum and collector attendance last year, we look forward to building on the fair’s reputation as a vital international and commercial hub.’ - Victoria Siddall, Director of Frieze

Main image: ‘A Step Away from Them’, excerpt from Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara. Used by permission of City Lights Books. Photography: Clément Pascal