LONDON.- Today Frieze announces Ruba Katrib (Curator, SculptureCenter, New York) as the new Curatorial Advisor of Focus at Frieze London 2017, joining Fabian Schöneich (Curator, Portikus, Frankfurt). A feature section at Frieze London, Focus showcases ambitious artist presentations by the world’s most relevant and exciting emerging galleries. Frieze London will take place 5–8 October 2017 and is sponsored by global lead partner Deutsche Bank for the 14th consecutive year.

The section at Frieze London for galleries aged twelve years or younger, Focus has evolved to become a definitive destination for emerging art worldwide. Working closely with galleries on ambitious solo and group installations, previous Curatorial Advisors have included Cecilia Alemani, Daniel Baumann, Raphael Gygax, Sarah McCrory and Rodrigo Moura. Alongside Schöneich, Katrib will advise Focus galleries for the 2017 edition of Frieze London.

Katrib joins numerous leading curators collaborating with Frieze, including Raphael Gygax (Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich) on Frieze Projects, Toby Kamps (The Menil Collection, Houston) and Sir Norman Rosenthal (independent curator) on Frieze Masters and Clare Lilley (Yorkshire Sculpture Park) on the Sculpture Park. Together, their scholarship and international overview ensure an edit of galleries and artwork not otherwise found in an art fair context.

Ruba Katrib said, ‘I tend to begin my journey through Frieze London in the Focus section. I’m eager to see who’s there and what they’ve brought, knowing that the galleries in Focus can be counted on to bring lesser-known artists, new work, and exciting ideas – they consistently work hard to convey a fresh approach. It is with great pleasure that I’ll be able to support these endeavors to showcase the growing programs and artistic communities developing around these galleries, continuing to expand the range of artists and perspectives introduced by the fair.’

Victoria Siddall, (Director, Frieze Fairs) said, ‘ ‘I’m thrilled to welcome Ruba Katrib as a curatorial advisor to Focus. I greatly admire her work at SculptureCenter, one of New York’s most respected and experimental institutions, and I know she has the respect of galleries all over the world. Focus has seen increasingly ambitious presentations over the years and is a destination for curators and collectors looking for the most interesting young galleries and emerging artists from around the world. I am looking forward to seeing Ruba bring her wealth of experience and insight to support the vital work of this generation of galleries and artists showing at Frieze London.’

The Focus section at Frieze London has showcased presentations by some of today’s leading emerging artists including Marguerite Humeau (Clearing, New York at Frieze London 2016), recipient of the 2017 Zurich Art Prize; Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa (Sultana, Paris at Frieze London 2015) selected for the 2016 São Paulo Biennial; Guan Xiao (Antenna Space, Shanghai at Frieze London 2015), the subject of a solo show at ICA, London in 2016; and Slavs and Tatars (Raster, Warsaw at Frieze London 2014), whose work was acquired by the Outset/Frieze Fund to benefit the Tate Collection that year. 37 galleries from Berlin to Shanghai were selected for Focus last year, including first-time exhibitor Proyectos Ultravioleta (Guatemala City) which was awarded the 2016 Focus Stand Prize.