Frieze Masters 2015: new curator for Spotlight
Clara Kim
Art fair organiser Frieze has appointed Clara Kim as curator of Spotlight, the specialist section of Frieze Masters and Frieze New York that is dedicated to solo presentations of 20th-century art.
An independent curator based in Los Angeles, Kim was formerly senior curator at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and director/curator of the Gallery at REDCAT in Los Angeles. Kim will take up the position immediately and advise on the selection of galleries for Frieze Masters 2015. Devoted to art from ancient to modern, Frieze Masters will take place 14–18 October 2015 on Gloucester Green, Regent’s Park, London, and is sponsored by Deutsche Bank.
A popular feature of the fair since its inception, Spotlight has an emphasis on bringing together a diverse group of artists and has a wide global reach. Most recently the 2014 iteration at Frieze Masters featured 20 artists from 14 countries. Adriano Pedrosa, who has curated the section since Frieze Masters’ launch in 2012, will continue to oversee this year’s upcoming edition of Spotlight at Frieze New York.
Kim said of her appointment: ‘I am thrilled to be building on Adriano’s work and utilizing the Spotlight platform to bring new perspectives on foundational moments in art. In our globalized world, the gap between the mainstream and the periphery should be ever more bridged – creating complex, nuanced readings of art making and contributing to an expansive view of art histories from all corners of the globe. I hope to consider dynamic art scenes that developed radically independent art-historical trajectories, from Los Angeles to Beijing, the Asia Pacific to the Middle East.’
Victoria Siddall, director of Frieze, added: ‘Clara promises to bring an exciting shift in Spotlight, bringing her particular knowledge and perspective to the section while continuing the spirit of discovery, diversity and quality that Adriano has put in place over the last few years. Spotlight has been a highlight of Frieze Masters since its inception in 2012 and I look forward to seeing Clara’s plans come to life in October. I am also delighted that we will introduce Spotlight to Frieze New York in May this year – this will be Adriano’s final section as he takes up the role of Director of MASP in São Paulo.
Current projects for Kim include a touring survey of Mexican sculptor Abraham Cruzvillegas (Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Museo Jumex and Amparo, Mexico); an exhibition of new work by Mark Bradford (Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai); and ‘Paulo Bruscky: Artist Books and Films, 1970-2013’ (Galeria Nara Roseler, São Paulo and The Mistake Room, Los Angeles).