Frieze awarded funding for 6 Olympic public art commissions

Gary Webb's proposal for Greenwich

Frieze have received grants enabling them to commission one permanent artwork (pictured above) and five temporary projects for boroughs in East London for the Olympics, for a new venture called Frieze Projects East. The artworks are the first Frieze has commissioned away from Frieze Art Fair, which attracts international collectors to Regent's Park in London every October. 


The artworks will be made by artists who have either lived or studied in east London, and include:  a permanent playground climbing frame sculpture by Gary Webb in Greenwich; inflatable sculptures by Anthea Hamilton and Nicholas Byrne which will fill the disused pool at Poplar Baths in Tower Hamlets; billboards by Sarnath Banerjee recording the artists lifelong sporting failures; and magical silver doorknobs by Can Altay which record the touch of people who use them situated on buildings around Waltham Forest including the town hall, council housing, and the YMCA. 


Two more projects are yet to be announced, once the curator Sarah McCrory and mystery artist succeeds in overcoming ‘engineering issues and battling the laws of nature and physics.’


Frieze were approached for the project by Create, whose aim is to connect artists with the communities of east London. The project has been financed by Arts Council England, who contributed £100,000; and the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, who contributed around £350,000.


To read the full source articles visit: http://www.artlyst.com/articles/frieze-given-olympics-cash-for-public-art  and http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/culture-blog/2012/feb/22/frieze-london-2012-art-east-end?newsfeed=true