Visiting London for Frieze Art Fairs 2019? Here’s What to Expect

Art lovers rejoice – the most important date in the art calendar is coming up in one of the most exciting cities in the world for all things creative. Discover the world’s most exciting artists, from the emerging to the iconic during the London Frieze Art Fairs 2019.

Frieze London highlights over 160 of the world’s best galleries. Here you’ll get the opportunity to see and purchase art from more than 1,000 of today’s leading artists, and you’ll be able to learn more about the artists and their subjects at the fair’s critically-acclaimed, curated talks programme.

The best London hotel deals special offers will get booked up around this time, so book early to secure your room.

What’s on?

The yearly, carefully-curated programme features the highly coveted Frieze Artist Award, which presents emerging, site-specific pieces by modern artists. It’s one of the big things to check out, so we’ve gone into a little more detail below.

Also, the other two biggies on the bill are the Frieze Music, which is the fair’s off-site music programme, and the schedule of Frieze Talks. These are a compelling array of panel discussions, talks and keynote lectures with the best of the best in the art world.

Also well worth a mention are the curated gallery sections – Focus features exhibitions by galleries that have been around for 16 years or less, and Live is a place for performance and participation pieces.

Frieze Artist Award – the low down

London and Delhi-based Himali Singh Soin is the winner of this year’s highly anticipated Frieze Artist Award at Frieze London 2019. Produced by Diana Campbell Betancourt, the award is a huge opportunity for an up-and-coming global artist to exhibit an aspiring piece of work at the Art Fair. For the first time, the award will concentrate on the subject of film, supported by Forma and Channel 4 Random Acts. They also have the job of selecting the winning artist in partnership with Frieze.

Soin answered this year’s interesting brief, which was set by Random Acts, which requested proposals that considered the ‘state of the nation’. Singh Soin will showcase her amazing new commission at Frieze London 2019. Channel 4 Random Acts are also set to broadcast the film on both Channel 4 and online following the event.

Diana Campbell Betancourt shared her thoughts on this amazing new artist: ‘Beyond her visual arts practice, Himali Singh Soin is a poet and explorer and this award will allow this emerging artist to deepen her engagement with moving image as storytelling… With this significant new commission, Himali will also explore intriguing and urgent questions about environment, history and myth.’

Frieze Talks 

For those interested in learning more about important subjects in the art world in 2019, you won’t want to miss the incredible schedule of Frieze Talks planned.

Held at the fair’s base in Regent’s Park, it’s just a short ride away from top accommodation in Paddington London, where it’s a good idea to stay as you’ll miss the hotel price increases of options nearer the festival. They are curated with the main focus of questioning art’s relationship to the broader social world, 100 years following the founding of the Bauhaus.

Frieze Talks will be co-programmed for by Lydia Yee, who is the Chief Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery, and Matthew McLean, the Senior Editor at Frieze Studios, for the second year running.

The full programme of speakers will be announced in September, so keep your eyes peeled on the official website for more details.

LIVE at Frieze London 2019

Another key component of the event that draws in visitors from across the globe is LIVE, which features performances and timely piece by Cecilia Bangolea, Shezad Dawood and William Fosythe, as well as a few others. It is also curated by Diana Campbell Betancourt.

One of the originators of progressive innovation in both choreography and dance, William Forsythe, is the ultimate entry point for LIVE 2019. As well as his trailblazing work in the realm of classical ballet, he has worked for over 20 years on a mix of installations, film, and interactive sculptures, which he refers to as his ‘choreographic objects’. Current commissions and research-driven projects will examine interdisciplinary creative methods and their political potential.

Investigating the growing field of dance and choreography in the context of the fair, pieces by artists from wide-ranging backgrounds from Argentina to Cambodia will showcase stories of control occurring in architecture, language, colonialism, and radicalisation, all illuminated through movement. –

The first announced artists and galleries to add to your diary include:

• Carlos Amorales (presented by Nils Staerk)
• Cecilia Bengolea (presented by Almine Rech, with support from FLUXUS)
• Shezad Dawood (presented by Jhaveri Contemporary with support from Bagri Foundation; featuring costume design by Priya Ahluwalia and sound score by patten)
• William Forsythe (presented by Gagosian)
• Yasmin Jahan Nupur (presented by Exhibit 320, co-commissioned with Dhaka Art Summit and Peabody Essex Museum)
• Khvay Samnang (presented by Tomio Koyama with support from Delfina Foundation, choreographers and dancers by Mot Pharan with Sot Sovanndy)
• Further artists and projects will be released in September 2019.

Where to stay

You’ll want to ensure your accommodation in Paddington London is as chic and as sophisticated as your general artistic experience at the fair.

The Park Grand Paddington Court is the ideal choice, as our inviting rooms are beautifully designed with an emphasis on style and comfort. Chic and contemporary, the bedrooms are beautifully equipped with state-of-the-art amenities. It’s also conveniently located near key transport hub – Paddington – which means you can get to the multitude of events on the line up swiftly and seamlessly. Looking to make your trip a true occasion to remember?

Take a look at our London hotel deals and special offers available now.

The important bits

If you’re looking forward to attending the event that’s running from the 3rd to the 6th of October 2019 in Regent’s Park, it’s time to book your tickets. There are a few different ticket-type restrictions, so make sure to double-check before you book on the official website.