Frieze Week: Thursday Preview

The highpoint of London’s cultural calendar returns with Frieze London and Frieze Masters open to the public for Preview Day. As well as the best art on show from the world’s leading galleries, don’t miss the many performances, talks and film screenings taking place across both fairs.

For opening times and how to get to the fairs head over to the visitor information pages for Frieze London and Frieze Masters. Both fairs are open until 8pm today.

‘Social Work’ at Frieze London features eight presentations by women artists whose work emerged in response to the global social and political upheavals of the 1980s and ’90s. The section pays homage to artists who challenged the male-dominated status quo and explored the possibilities of political activism in their art making. Don't miss Berni Searle presented by Stevenson, Cape Town, painter Ipek Duben shown by Pi Artworks, London and Faith Ringgold on view with ACA Galleries, New York & Weiss Berlin.

To see the art world’s future stars, head over to the Focus section which features presentations by 33 galleries aged 12 years or younger and is the definitive destination to discover emerging talents from Berlin to Beijing. Find Athena Papadopoulos at Emalin, Zadie Xa at Union Pacific (whose work was acquired by The Contemporary Art Society’s Collections Fund) and this year’s Camden Arts Centre Emerging Arts Prize winner, Wong Ping, showing with Edouard Malingue Gallery, of Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ping will now receive a solo show at the Camden Arts Centre. 

Don’t miss the daily Frieze Talks programme curated by Lydia Yee (Whitechapel Gallery) and Matthew McLean (Frieze Week). Tickets are free but need to be reserved from the ticket desk at the front of the auditorium beforehand. The ticket desk is open from 11am so reserve your ticket early to avoid missing out.

At 12pm the Contemporary Art Society hosts a curatorial summit; at 3pm it’s the premiere of the new Frieze Film commissions by Lucy Raven, Paul Pfeiffer and The Otolith Group presented with an introduction by the section’s curator Diana Campbell Betancourt; and at 4.30pm don’t miss the panel discussion ‘On Social Work’ with Sonia Boyce, Ipek Duben, Mary Kelly and Berni Searle, hosted by the The Art Newspaper’s Louisa Buck.

In the Live section at Frieze London, look out for performances taking place around the fair, including Laure Prouvost’s wandering opera singer and Julia Scher’s female security guards dressed in the artist’s signature pink uniforms.

Over at Frieze Masters the daily talks programme, curated again by Tim Marlow (Royal Academy) at the auditorium, include Tacita Dean in conversation with Marlow at 12pm and artists Julie Mehretu and Thelma Golden in conversation at 3pm.

Explore solo presentations by 20th century avant-garde artists in Spotlight and discover extraordinary artworks and objects in Collections, including gallery Mitochu Koeki presenting ceramics by modern Japanese masters alongside classical antique tea ceremony wares.

Feeling hungry? Some of London’s best restaurants are at both fairs with the River Cafe joining Frieze London for the first time alongside returning favourites Petersham Nurseries, Moro, Brunswick House, Rita’s, Gail’s Artisan Bakery and Ahi Poké. At Frieze Masters, visitors can find Gail’s, Locanda Locatelli and Umu.

It's West End Night so head into town to see leading galleries extending their current exhibitions into the evening, from 6–8.30pm.