Frieze Art Fair 2011

The world-renowned Frieze Art Fair features world’s top contemporary art galleries. It includes specially commissioned projects, a talks program and an artist-led special education schedule. The event takes place in Regent’s Park, London this week. It draws over 60,000 visitors every year. They include artists, collectors, curators, gallerists and critics, and the general art-loving public, enjoying the whole cultural experience.

The fair focuses on contemporary art and artists. Unlike most other fairs, it’s housed in a bewildering bespoke temporary structure located in Regent’s Park, sans the settings of a trade show, making it both lively and energetic. Since its inception, the fair has collaborated with several talented architects like David Adjaye, Caruso St John and Jamie Fobert, well known for their work on art galleries and museums.

The idea behind the setting and realm of the fair is to make it a unique experience through exciting works and eye-catching changes to the décor, design and surrounding spaces. The so called power duo behind the fair is Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover. In a recent interview, they mention: “Frieze gave us access to a world that we did not even know existed. Through the event we had to get involved with so many more aspects of the business of art. However, it has never precluded two of us from having conversations with artists. We spend as much time possible with artists as ever, and most of our friendships are with artists."

The London art fair, now in its ninth year, has witnessed the art bubble inflated to blinging proportions and then deflate, before stabilizing a bit. When it began in 2003, it drew 27,700 visitors and amassed roughly £20 million in sales. These days, the number of visitor hover around 60,000 plus. The fair organizers stopped giving the total sales figures since 2005. While they are not likely to reach the earlier dizzy heights, it's fair to say they are still reasonable.