A major shakeup at Frieze has been announced today. Victoria Siddall has been appointed as Director of Frieze London and Frieze New York in addition to her existing position as Director of Frieze Masters. Founders of Frieze, Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, will focus on developing new projects for the organization. Victoria will start her new role from Frieze London 2015 onwards. Supporting her in the development of the art fairs will be two Artistic Directors, one based in London and one in New York.
Matthew Slotover and Amanda Sharp, Founders of Frieze, said: ‘We are extremely proud of our three art fairs, and the platform they have built for a deeper engagement with art. Victoria led the launch of Frieze Masters brilliantly, and having worked with her for over ten years, we know she understands the identity of each fair and can build all three of them to become ever better experiences for visitors and exhibitors alike.’
Victoria added: ‘Having worked on the contemporary fair from 2004 until 2010 I’m excited to be focusing on Frieze London and Frieze New York now as well as Frieze Masters. The fairs and the amazing cities that host them have such individual characteristics, however all three are united by a sense of discovery and a fresh and innovative approach. They all put the art first. I’m thrilled to be responsible for building their future by continuing to work closely with fantastic galleries, artists and curators.’
In London, Joanna Stella-Sawicka will take up the position of Artistic Director and lead on gallery and institution relationships within Europe, Middle East, Russia and Africa. A member of the Frieze team since 2011, Joanna has most recently been the Director of the Frame and Focus sections of the contemporary fairs and has ten years experience of working in galleries prior to joining the organization. A second Artistic Director, based in New York will be responsible for relationships with galleries and institutions in the Americas and Asia. The Artistic Directors will also have a special focus on the curated sections of the fairs, including the Projects programmes.
The organizational side of the business will be supported by COO, Kerry Bishop, alongside CFO, Paul Rakkar. Anna Starling will continue to oversee Frieze Publishing.
Frieze London, Frieze Masters and Frieze New York are three of the world’s leading art fairs. Launched in 2003 Frieze London takes place each October in Regent’s Park, London. In 2012 Frieze launched Frieze New York, a contemporary art fair held each May on Randall’s Island, Manhattan and Frieze Masters, a fair for art from ancient to Modern, which also takes place in Regent’s Park. Frieze is supported by Deutsche Bank for the eleventh consecutive year.
Photo: © P C Robinson Artlyst 2014