20 Years since Frieze’s Debut, Gallerists Reflect on the Evolution of London’s Art Scene

Returning this month to Regent’s Park in the heart of London with more than 160 participating galleries, Frieze London will celebrate 20 years since its opening in the fall of 2003.

When the inaugural edition was launched by Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, the founders of contemporary art publication Frieze, the event drew 124 participating galleries and welcomed 27,700 visitors to Regent’s Park. The first Frieze London saw international mega-galleries, such as David Zwirner and Gagosian, exhibiting alongside mainstay local outfits like Stephen Friedman Gallery and Waddington Custot.

“Since the beginning, Frieze has been a fantastic space to connect with key international collectors, major institutions, and curators,” said Mira Dimitrova, director of sales at Stephen Friedman Gallery, which has been based in London since 1995. “The fair supports us and enables us to present our artists to diverse audiences in a unique setting.”

In the subsequent decades, Frieze has expanded into an art fair powerhouse. Its sister event in London, Frieze Masters, launched in 2012 with a focus on ancient to modern art, followed by editions in New York that same year; Los Angeles in 2019; and Seoul in 2022. Moreover, leading Hollywood talent and entertainment company Endeavor bought a majority stake in the fair conglomerate in 2016. More recently this summer, the fair added New York’s The Armory Show as well as Expo Chicago into its stable.

Notably, the year of Frieze’s launch was particularly eventful and indicative of major shifts in the global art market. The U.S. was facing economic jitters from the Iraq war, while Europe—specifically London, Paris, and Rome—seemed to be taking the lead in international fine art sales with a global share of 54%, according to ArtPrice. In the first half of 1999, U.S. auctioneers handled more than 64% of art market turnover, according to ArtPrice, but three years later, the U.K. and U.S. were pretty much on par. London’s art scene in particular was at an interesting juncture.

“The impact of the establishment of Tate Modern in 2000 led by [Sir Nicholas Serota] cannot be understated,” noted Leila Alexander, a senior director at White Cube. “Alongside the creation of Frieze London in 2003, the rise of the Turner Prize, [and] an increasingly international gallery community and world-class museums, we have seen a transformation of London’s art scene, and with this, we have witnessed a dramatic growth in both the scale and the globalization of the art market.”

While the shifts at the time of the inaugural Frieze London were impactful, the changes in London and the international art market over the past two decades have been unprecedented and multifaceted.

According to Louise Hayward, partner at Lisson Gallery—which was also present at the first edition of Frieze London—the U.K. arts sector witnessed shifts in recent years related to “the consequences of Brexit and the pandemic, and adapting to new regulations, technologies, and market influences.”

Nina Fellmann, director of Annely Juda Fine Art, another participating gallery from the very first Frieze London, agreed that the biggest recent change in the U.K. art scene has been Brexit, with major repercussions set to continue for years to come.

“Not only does it cause all sorts of problems with the shipping of works between Europe and the U.K., it also takes away the creative exchange between the different European countries and the U.K.,” Fellmann said. “The U.K. has always prided itself (rightly so) in being incredibly culturally diverse, and due to Brexit, this has shrunk enormously.”

Frieze itself has not been impervious to recent market pressures. During the first year of the pandemic and its ensuing cancellation of art fairs worldwide, Frieze London and Frieze Masters canceled their physical editions and launched an online viewing room showcasing a total of 250 galleries. At the end of that same year, it was reported that Frieze planned to lease its first permanent exhibition space at No. 9 Cork Street in Mayfair, London, for year-round gallery programming.

The opening up of cultural centers globally has also impacted businesses in the U.K. capital. According to dealers Artsy spoke to, the number of new art fair launches such as Frieze Seoul—as well as new art foundations, museums, and biennials around the world—means there are more avenues for galleries and their artists to actively participate in, beyond London.

Paris is one alternative city that has emerged. Art Basel last year launched Paris+, a new art fair in the city during the same month as Frieze. Additionally, David Zwirner opened an Paris outpost in 2019; Gagosian launched its third location in the French capital in 2021; and Hauser & Wirth is inaugurating its new space in the city on October 14th in the leadup to the fair.

However, such opportunities are mostly available to specific galleries. “This is obviously not just a U.K. phenomenon, but with London being one of the main art world hubs it is quite prominent here,” said Fellmann.

Amid all these changes, where does Frieze London stand today? The fair is still considered “a pivotal moment in the global, not just U.K., arts calendar,” said Hayward.