The Wall Street Journal gives a Frieze a chance to sound ominous as it prepares for its New York adventure:
“We are a small company, with no external stakeholders,” explains Sharp, who launched the magazine with Slotover in 1991. “We can concentrate on creating an environment where people feel energized.” By contrast, the Armory is operated by Merchandise Mart, a conglomerate that stages a variety of trade shows. “If the fair is successful,” Sharp adds, “it will change the landscape of the art calendar in New York.”
Those are ambitious words. What speaks more loudly is the number of international galleries from last year’s Armory Show that defected to Frieze: about 30 in all. Meanwhile, heavy hitter Gagosian, which has avoided the Armory altogether, is participating in Frieze.
Frieze Art Fair Electrifies New York (Wall Street Journal)