Frieze Favourites

Sarah McCrory is the curator for Frieze Projects 2010, a programme of artists’ commissions realised annually at Frieze Art Fair. Recognised for her work with young and underrepresented artists she has previously worked in not-for-profit and commercial galleries such as South London’s Studio Voltaire, where she helped to establish its reputation as a leading cutting-edge exhibition space. She has also worked as Curator at Swallow Street; the self-publishing fair Publish and Be Damned and for two years was Director of Vilma Gold gallery. In 2009 McCrory acted as an advisor to the Directors and Selection Committee of Frieze Art Fair on the fair’s new section Frame, which was inaugurated to give greater representation of galleries under six years old. 

She spoke to Phaidon.com on the eve of the opening of the Frieze Art Fair 2010.

Q: Can you say a bit about Frieze Projects this year and the way in which you have organized the show?

This year's programme incorporates an element of performativity, and also takes a number of works outside the confines of the fair. I wasn't interested this year in housing projects in gallery booths, but taking them outside the fair structure and providing a change in pace to the way visitors view work in the fair.

Q: What kind of artists were you looking for when you made your selection for this year's Frieze Projects?

I don't work in the way where I have artists in mind immediately. It was more a process of studio visits and then, if it felt right, I asked artists to propose. It's not appropriate to approach a fair with a theme but I was interested in the pace and atmosphere of the fair, and how projects can stand out without having to shout over the noise. I wanted to work with a number of artists I have worked with before as well as those I haven't, and a combination of established and emerging artists, so hopefully it has a balance.

Q: How have this year’s artists reacted differently to this unique setting?

Well, I mentioned the outside aspect; Karl Holmqvist and Ei Arakawa will take activities and performance to outside for their project pOEtry pArk, Matthew Darbyshire is redesiging the fair's ticket tent to resemble a popular high street mobile phone concept store. Gabriel Kuri has made a number of elegant sculptures which, at the fair, will function as ashtrays.

Q: How is creating art for a fair different from making art for a gallery or museum?

One of the challenges for me has been to do with timing. Running a gallery gives you a rolling timeline as exhibitions last a month – so you are constantly either developing a show, organizing the realisation of it, or installing and opening the show. The process for the fair is more linear and therefore I’ve missed that pace. Otherwise, I don’t think museums have to deal with muddy water, bugs and the elements…

Q: How do the Frieze Projects differ from artist projects at other art fairs?

Well, Frieze is the only fair, I believe, with a full time curator working on the projects all year, and the scale of projects is really impressive – if you look back at the scale of projects by artists such as Paolo Pivi and Mike Nelson in Polly Staple’s programme or Jeppe Hein and Norma Jean in Neville Wakefield, or the amount of projects – for example this year there are ten projects including the Cartier Award, four films, three film programmes a music programme… the list goes on. More importantly, all these works are directly commissioned for the fair. That’s actually quite unusual. It’s about a commitment to producing new and exciting work, regardless of the specificity of the context.

Q: Are the Frieze Projects for sale?

In theory yes, but that’s not our objective. We commission in the same way museums and institutions commission works, so it’s a possibility but not an aim.

Q: What do you think makes Frieze uniquely different to all the other fairs and what are you particularly looking forward to at Frieze this year?

I’m obviously going to say the programme! Outside of that, I’m looking forward to Frame as it’s the second year and I am not involved this year (I was an advisor last year so it’s the first time I’ll see it without being involved). The talks are remarkable as always, and have been put together by the magazine editors. I am hoping to see a few if I can. I think it’s unique as it’s not in a depressing exhibition centre and is in Regent’s Park. That and the commitment to producing new quality work with great artists means that it feels very different to other art fairs.

Sarah McCrory, thank you.