The Emdash Award
The Emdash Award for emerging artists is a major initiative by Frieze Foundation in collaboration with Gasworks and sponsored by Emdash Foundation.
When was the Award established?
The Emdash Award was established in 2011 and replaced The Cartier Award.
Are travel costs for the successful applicant included in the award?
Travel costs to and from the residency are in addition to the production costs for the award.
Is there a per diem or subsistence allowance for the successful applicant?
A stipend of approximately £150 per week for daily expenses plus £25 per week for local travel during the 3-month residency is included in the award.
When will the residency take place?
The residency will start on the 1 August 2013 and end on the 31 October 2013 and will lead to the production of the proposed project at Frieze London which takes place from the 17–20 October 2013.
Is the timing of the residency negotiable?
The timing and duration of the residency is fixed.
What will happen to site specific work after Frieze London?
Due to the temporary nature of the event, all site-specific installation work is dismantled after the fair.
Who will take ownership of the work produced?
All work produced at the fair and during the residency at Gasworks will remain the property of the artist. If the work realised at Frieze London is sold, all production costs must be reimbursed. This agreement will be clarified in the artist’s contract.
How will the successful project be publicized?
The project commissioned for Frieze London will be publicized along with the other Frieze Projects in all relevant print, press and publicity material. The successful applicant’s involvement in publicity is expected but not obligatory.
Frieze London & Frieze Projects
What is Frieze London?
Frieze London is a commercial art fair featuring more than 170 of the most exciting contemporary art galleries in the world.
Where is Frieze London?
Frieze London takes place each October in a temporary structure in Regent’s Park, a central location within easy reach of London’s West End.
Who comes to Frieze London?
Frieze London attracts more 60,000 visitors each year from around the world. Visitors range from collectors, critics, curators and artists with a specialized interest or professional knowledge to members of the general public – with an interest in contemporary art. The event attracts a wide national and international audience.
What are Frieze Projects?
Frieze Projects provide a unique, high profile, commissioning opportunity for artists to realize an ambitious new work at a significant point in their careers. The artists are able to develop and present new work in an event context closer to a biennial or festival than the traditional museum or gallery format. The fair organisers have made innovative decisions regarding the fair environment – situating it in a temporary structure in a park designed by an architect, and with the artists’ commissions as an intrinsic feature. As a result, the atmosphere is highly energetic and the audience an engaged one.
Artists are invited to treat the art fair as a site of production and involve themselves in the physical and conceptual framework of the fair. In previous years the commissions have ranged from site-specific installations to impromptu performances and print publications distributed to visitors. Many of the commissions have been event-based or involved the audience directly.
Frieze Projects is supported by the Emdash Foundation.
Where do Frieze Projects take place?
Frieze Projects are realized annually in and around Frieze London. The commissions take place in the public zones of the fair and in the specially constructed auditorium. Some commissions also enter into the surrounding park and off-site venues.
Who produces Frieze Projects?
Frieze Projects run alongside Frieze Talks, Frieze Film and Frieze Education, which are commissioned and produced by Frieze Foundation.
What is Frieze Foundation?
Frieze Foundation is a not-for-profit company supported by the Emdash Foundation and Arts Council England.
Frieze Foundation aims to encourage critical debate and broaden the public’s interest in contemporary visual art and offer artists the opportunity to realize an ambitious new work at a significant point in their careers.
Who runs Frieze Foundation?
Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover are the Directors of Frieze Foundation, Frieze London and publishing directors of frieze magazine, act as advisors to the programme.
What is the relationship between Frieze Foundation, Frieze London and frieze magazine?
Frieze Foundation shares the same office and many of the same administrative staff as Frieze London and frieze magazine. Each organisation is run separately as its own distinct company.
What is Emdash?
The Emdash Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to promoting new ideas across disciplines, from artistic and cultural projects to scientific research. Founded by Andrea Dibelius in 2010, Emdash’s activities are motivated by philanthropy, a commitment to supporting new ideas and emerging talent and a love for the arts. As its first project the Emdash Foundation is supporting Frieze Projects and launching the Emdash Award. Emdash’s support of Frieze Foundation is the starting point of its commitment to promoting new ideas and supporting the arts. For more information on the Emdash Foundation please visit emdashfoundation.com
What is Gasworks?
Gasworks is a contemporary arts organisation in South London housing 12 artists’ studios and presenting a programme of exhibitions, residencies, international fellowships and educational projects. Nine studios are rented to London based artists and three are reserved for an International Residency Programme for non-UK based artists. Since 1994 Gasworks Residency Programme has worked with over 150 artists from over 60 countries worldwide.
Gasworks is part of the Triangle Arts Trust’s international network of artists and organisations.
For more information visit gasworks.org.uk






