Frieze Week 2018: art fairs and events across London

Frieze London
The 2018 edition of Frieze Art Fair features over 160 galleries and work by over 1,000 artists. Following last year’s themed section ‘Sex Work: Radical Art & Feminist Politics’, this year’s fair will feature ‘Social Work’, celebrating women artists who challenged the male-dominated art market of the 1980s. The featured artists are Sonia Boyce, Helen Chadwick, Ipek Duben, Tina Keane, Mary Kelly, Faith Ringgold, Berni Searle and Nancy Spero, selected by a panel of 11 female art historians and critics from UK institutions. Also new for this year is the Camden Arts Centre Emerging Artist Prize, to be chosen from artists represented in the fair’s Focus section for galleries 12 years old or younger. There’ll also be new commissions in the Frieze Film programme, panel discussions and lectures in Frieze Talks, and the Live space for performance and participation works.
4-7 October 2018, Regent’s Park, London, NW1. Ticket prices vary. www.frieze.com

Frieze Masters
Frieze Masters features more than 130 modern and historical galleries from around the world, showcasing art from the ancient era and Old Masters to the late 20th century. The programme has been selected by various international curators, including Toby Kamps (Blaffer Art Museum, University of Houston) who will curate ‘Spotlight’, featuring solo presentations by ‘revolutionary figures of the avant-garde’. Curator Sir Norman Rosenthal’s ‘Collections’ section will focus on specialist dealers, while Tim Marlow (Royal Academy of Arts, London) returns to oversee the daily Frieze Masters Talks programme. This year it will feature various women international artists in conversation with museum directors and curators.
4-7 October 2018, Regent’s Park, London, NW1. Ticket prices vary. www.frieze.com

Art Licks Weekend 2018: Peripheries
Moving to Frieze Week from its earlier September slot, the sixth edition of the annual Art Licks Weekend is titled ‘Peripheries’ and explores how the participating projects position themselves on the edges of the art market. Focusing on London’s artist-led and non-profit spaces, Art Licks explain that the date change is in order to ‘better contrast, discuss and positively address current central structures’, describing the event as ‘an alternative to competitive object-based narratives’. With its focus on ‘care and exchange’, new for this year are projects from outside the capital that will be hosted by London spaces. Issue 23 of Art Licks magazine, also titled Peripheries, will be launched during the festival.
4-7 October 2018, various venues across London. Free. artlicksweekend.com

Sunday Art Fair
Focusing on new and emerging artists and galleries from around the world, this year’s Sunday Art Fair features 30 international galleries exhibiting solo projects or curated group presentations. Exhibitors include galleries from Bucharest, Berlin, Barcelona, Ghent, New York and San Francisco. Located less than ten minutes walk from Frieze Art Fair at the subterranean space Ambika P3, entrance to the fair is free.
4-7 October 2018, Ambika P3, London, NW1. Free. www.sundayartfair.com

1:54 Contemporary African Art
Returning to Somerset House for its sixth edition, 1:54 focuses on contemporary African art. Drawing reference to the 54 countries that constitute the African continent, the event showcases 43 international galleries presenting over 130 African and African diasporan artists across the East, South and West Wings of Somerset House. This edition will be accompanied by a series of Special Projects and Forum, the fair’s talks programme, curated for the first time by writer and curator Ekow Eshun.
4-7 October 2018, Somerset House, London, WC2. Tickets: £20 (£15 concs). www.1-54.com

The Other Art Fair
Now in its 21st edition, The Other Art Fair features work by 140 emerging and unrepresented artists. Taking place at Bloombury’s historic Victoria House and The College, it is guest curated by Saatchi Art’s Rebecca Wilson, with artists selected by a committee.
4-7 October 2018, Victoria House and The College, London, E1. Ticket prices vary. www.theotherartfair.com

PAD
This fair brings together 68 international galleries from major cities across Europe, North America and Asia, showcasing art, design and decorative arts with the concept of cross-collecting. It mixes art, design, decorative arts, tribal art, antiquities and collectible jewellery, presented in a boutique setting. The PAD London Prize also returns, with three awards presented in the following categories: Best Contemporary Design, Best 20th Century Design and Best Stand.
1-7 October 2018, Berkeley Square, London W1. Tickets: £25 (£15 concs). www.pad-fairs.com

Moniker Art Fair
Moniker returns to Shoreditch for its 10th edition, which focuses on the theme of ‘Uncensored’. Whilst not every exhibition within the fair will incorporate this theme, each gallery and artist present has been selected to appear, rather than by open call.
4-7 October 2018, The Old Truman Brewery, London E1. Tickets: £10. www.monikerartfair.com

Handmade at Kew
Perhaps one of the more unique alternatives to Frieze is taking place at Kew Gardens. The fourth edition of Handmade at Kew is a four-day international contemporary craft event featuring over 150 designer-makers. On sale will be a host of works, including ceramics, jewellery, fashion and textiles, glass, paper, furniture, metalwork, sculpture and interior accessories.
4-7 October 2018, Kew Gardens, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE. Tickets: £17 (includes free entry to Kew Gardens). www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk

Affordable Art Fair
Separating itself from the clamour and bustle of Frieze Week is the Affordable Art Fair, which takes place at its regular site at Battersea Park two weekends later. Running since 1999 and now a global brand, the fair invites ‘friendly’ galleries to present works by artists that range from £100 – £6,000. There is also a dedicated Recent Graduates’ Exhibition and activities geared to families with children.
18-21 October 2018, Battersea Park, London SW11. Ticket prices vary. www.affordableartfair.com/fairs/battersea-autumn

Cultural Traffic Arts Fair
Founded in 2016 by London-based artist and collector Toby Mott, this roving art fair hosts artists, independent and experimental publishers, together with dealers of vintage books, ephemera and pop culture. There is also a programme of live events, readings, screenings, music and artist-led performance, and family events. This edition is specifically focused on accessibility for a wide audience, and is being held amongst the cafes and bars of East London’s Old Spitalfields Market.
7 October 2018 , Old Spitalfields Market, London, E1. www.culturaltraffic.com

Images:
1. Frieze Art Fair, London, 2016
2. Sunday Art Fair. Courtesy: Sunday Art Fair
3. Affordable Art Fair. Courtesy: Affordable Art Fair

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