Today, Frieze named Fatos Üstek as the new curator of Frieze Sculpture, a major annual public art exhibition that places monumental works by leading artists throughout London’s Regent’s Park. Taking place from 20th September to 29th October 2023, Frieze Sculpture will coincide with Frieze London & Frieze Masters, 11th to 15th October 2023, which together will celebrate the creative spirit of the city.
‘We are thrilled to announce Fatos as the next curator of Frieze Sculpture. The exhibition is beloved by so many, and Fatos, who has extensive experience working with art in the public realm, could not be more well placed to take the initiative forward. With next year marking Frieze London’s 20th anniversary, we are looking forward to a special programme of projects and collaborations, amongst which Frieze Sculpture will be a major highlight.’
Eva Langret, Director of Frieze London
Fatos Üstek is an independent curator and writer, based in London. She was previously Director of the
Liverpool Biennial, Director of the Roberts Institute of Art, Curator of Art Night, London (2017), Curator of
fig-2 50 exhibitions 50 weeks, at ICA London (2015) and Associate Curator of the 10th Gwangju Biennial,
South Korea (2014). She has commissioned a number of projects in the public realm, including Nathan Coley, Liverpool, 2020; Do Ho Suh, London, 2018-20 and presently with Nine Elms, London. Over the past 10 years, Üstek has taken on multiple jury roles for national and international art prizes (Jindrich Chalupecky Award 2022-2024; Outset Studio Makers Prize, 2022; Turner Prize 2020; Celeste Prize 2017), international representations (Scotland and Netherlands in Venice, 2022), whilst nominating artists for prestigious projects and awards (The Fourth Plinth; Jarman Film Award).
‘Encountering art in the public realm gives us an experience like no other. At its best, it can astonish, inspire awe, and create collective wonder. We’re in an age where our society spends most of its time in a digital world, but that world does not speak to us in the same way. I’m hugely excited about joining Frieze and working with a wide array of artists and galleries to expand the conception, implementation and reception of sculpture in the public realm.’
Fatos Üstek
Üstek is also Editorial Advisor and Contributing Editor of Extra Extra Magazine and co-founder of FRANK Fair Artist Pay. Alongside leading international projects, she holds governance roles in art organizations in the UK (Chair, New Contemporaries), Netherlands (advisory board, Jan van Eyck Academie), and Germany (advisory board, Urban Art in Ruhr). Üstek is currently writing a book on 21st-century art institutions.
