LONDON.- Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, the co-founders of Frieze, announced today the launch of two new art fairs; Frieze New York, a contemporary art fair in New York City and Frieze Masters, a fair in London that will give a contemporary perspective on historical art. Both fairs will be launched in 2012 and will complement the existing October fair.

Sharp and Slotover said, ‘At Frieze Art Fair, our aim has been to create a unique destination with an atmosphere that is of cultural as well as commercial value. In the tenth year of the fair, we are delighted to take this vision to New York. We are also excited by the challenge of Frieze Masters, where we will apply a contemporary approach to pre-21st-century art. We look forward to building on the fair’s existing relationships with galleries, collectors and curators, and forming some new ones along the way.’

Frieze Art Fair
Randall’s Island Park, New York
3–6 May 2012
The New York fair will take a similar approach to that which has made Frieze Art Fair one of the world’s most influential contemporary art fairs, housed in a bespoke structure and located in a unique setting. Frieze New York will be held in Randall’s Island Park, Manhattan, overlooking the East River.

‘New York City has long been a global center for arts and culture, and in recent years, the number and size of local art fairs that attract New Yorkers and visitors from around the world has grown dramatically,’ said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. ‘Frieze has a reputation for hosting world-class arts shows, and with Randall’s Island Park as the location and New York City’s waterfront as the backdrop, this new event should be extraordinary.’

The fair will house approximately 170 galleries and will be designed by New York-based SO-IL architects. The exhibitors will comprise some of the most forward-thinking galleries from around the globe, bringing an international focus to the dynamic contemporary art scene in New York. Amanda Sharp, who is based in New York, added: ‘With its extraordinary range of museums, galleries, collectors and artists, New York is an exceptional city for contemporary art, and one of the most desirable cities in the world for an international art fair to be located.’

Frieze Masters
Regent’s Park, London
11–14 October 2012
Frieze Masters will give a unique view of the relationship between old and new art. The fair will present approximately 70 international galleries showing work made before the year 2000, ranging from antiquities and old masters through to art of the 20th century.

Coinciding with, and within walking distance of Frieze Art Fair, the two fairs will, each October, make London the focus for the whole art world. Frieze Masters will be designed by Annabelle Selldorf who will create a contemporary, elegant environment in which ancient and modern art can be shown side by side.

Frieze Masters will include a programme of talks in which major artists, critics and curators will draw out relationships between contemporary and historical art.

Nicholas Penny, Director, National Gallery, London commented, ‘Frieze Masters will attract the world’s most adventurous and imaginative art collectors to London. The fair is designed to revolutionise the relationship between ancient and modern, old and new. It should galvanise London’s art museums and galleries and help them to benefit from the occasion. The National Gallery (founded partly to inspire living artists) is delighted to support this venture.’

The Director of Frieze Masters, Victoria Siddall, added: ‘Frieze Masters will create fresh perspectives on historical art and interesting dialogues between periods, but most importantly will offer a world-class forum in London to leading international galleries showing pre-21st-century art. The combination of Frieze Art Fair and Frieze Masters in October will create an unmissable week and a great opportunity for a crossover between audiences of contemporary and historical art.’