Frieze London 2019, Regent's Park

In these tumultuous times, the need for solidarity is being felt on a global level, and it's no surprise that this is being visually manifested in the art world. The biggest and most glamorous art fair in the world returns to London this October, and according to Frieze Fairs Director Victoria Siddall, this year will be the fair's most international edition yet, bringing with it a programme which seeks to 'embody the exceptional international spirit of London'.

Past editions of Frieze London have tended to reflect cultural zeitgeists. 2018 saw a greater emphasis on female artists than in previous years which chimed with the demand for greater gender equality across the creative industries. This year, Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2019 aim to facilitate cross-cultural dialogues by collectively bringing together exhibiters from 36 countries, allowing visitors to appreciate cultural practices from all corners of the globe.

As in previous years, two colossal tents will take over Regent's Park, one housing Frieze London, the other housing Frieze Masters. Frieze London brings together over 160 of the world’s leading contemporary galleries from New York to Berlin and Shanghai to São Paulo, while Frieze Masters brings together more than 130 leading modern and Old Master galleries. Both fairs showcase works by the art world's most respected names, home and abroad.

Always attracting the heavyweights of the art world, as well as the cream of the emerging talent crop, it is the place to be for buyers, sellers, or anyone with an eye for compelling new art. Here are programme highlights which have been announced so far.

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Woven, curated by Cosmin Costinas

(Detail) Monika Correa, Jamshedpur (2012), courtesy Jhaveri Contemporary and Frieze

Frieze 2019 welcomes a new themed section entitled Woven. Cosmin Costinas, writer, critic and Executive Director/Curator of Para Site (Hong Kong) curates a show featuring solo presentations by eight international artists who employ textiles, weaving and tapestry in their works. These mediums are integral to the social and cultural rituals of a variety of non-Western cultures. Artists representing Brazil, the Philippines, China, India and Madagascar will explore the role that these traditional crafts play in their contemporary practice. They will also shed light on the colonial legacies of textiles, whose material histories weave a tale of conquest and exploitation.

Focus: Emerging Art From Across the World

(Detail) Karon Davis, Muddy Water, 2018, installation view, Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles. Courtesy: the artist and Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles

The fair’s celebrated section supporting young emerging talent welcomes 33 galleries from 19 countries this year. All the Focus galleries are 12 years or younger and represent hot new talent from Los Angeles to Cape Town. Highlights this year include Los Angeles-based artist Karon Davis's disquieting plaster sculptures (Wilding Cran, Los Angeles) and an installation by Danish artist Rolf Nowotny, who will recreate his grandmother's home to explore how dementia questions our conception of subjectivity (Christian Andersen, Copenhagen).

Frieze talks

This year, Frieze Talks commemorates the centenary of the Bauhaus by taking inspiration from the school's groundbreaking design theories which sought to unite artistic practice with societal needs. Frieze Talks is co-programmed by Lydia Yee (Chief Curator, Whitechapel Gallery) and Matthew McLean (Senior Editor, Frieze Studios). The full programme of speakers will be announced in September.

Frieze Sculpture 2019

(Detail) Tim Etchells, Everything is Lost, 2018, VITRINE, London, Frieze Sculpture 2018. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze

Frieze Sculpture returns to Regent's Park with a roll call of exciting names and some truly monumental offerings. Tracy Emin will be exhibiting again with a bronze figure over four metres long, entitled When I Sleep. Another returning name is Barry Flanagan (d.2009), known for his energetic bronze hares.

Also featuring this year is Robert Indiana's ONE through ZERO. Indiana was part of the pop art movement and is perhaps best known for his sculpture of the word 'love' arranged in square. New York based artist Tom Sachs appropriates elements of popular culture for his eclectic work and for Frieze Sculptures he is showing his painted bronze piece My Melody, which depicts a three metre high story book character.

Brazilian artist Vik Muniz's reproduction of a 1973 Jaguar E-Type Matchbox toy car will also be on display in the park's leafy surrounds, together with works by Lars Fisk, who transforms cars, trees, barns and roads into giant balls. Imagine a perfectly spherical VW Beetle, or a farm building that can roll away.

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Frieze London Essential Tips:

Remember: it's quality over quantity. You really, really can't see everything; the layout's a maze and the whole thing is fairly exhausting. Before tackling Frieze or Frieze Masters, bear in mind these essential tips.

1) Arrive as early as you can, before the crowds

2) Bring a coat for the sculpture garden and wear comfortable shoes, but also...

3) Dress to kill – it's a fashion parade after all

4) Take pictures – not just for Instagram, but so that you can remember what you saw, if buying or dreaming of buying is on your agenda

And finally,

5) Don't get too drunk and spend all your money on a sculpture made of coat-hangers and chicken-bones, or a giant inflatable Felix the Cat

The lowdown on the crowd

Frieze is to the art world what LFW is to the fashion industry. It's a place to see and be seen. This is a no-messing-around kind of affair. It's the one time of the year when scholars, connoisseurs, dealers and big-time collectors mingle, hob-knob and party with A-list actors, models and It girls.

Alongside the good and the great from the art world (Grayson Perry; Sir Nicholas Andrew Serota; Hans-Ulrich Obrist), the fair attracts actors, celebrities and fashionistas from across the globe. Don't be surprised if you find yourself running into Benedict Cumberbatch, Princess Eugenie or Bianca Jagger amongst the maze of booths.

Socialite name-dropping aside, Frieze is the most respected (and anticipated) fair in the art world calendar. With this in mind, do look at the art on the walls as well as the people swishing down the aisles.

Frieze London: Where you should eat

Social Wine and Tapas, Frieze London

At Frieze London, a range of high-end gastronomy and slightly more accessible pop-ups are on offer. Look out for newcomer Rita’s and Gimlet Bar alongside returning Frieze London favourites Ahi Poké, GAIL’s, Petersham Nurseries and Company Drinks.