London is endlessly inspiring. It’s a vibrant city full of museums and galleries, and so much going on—and with the British Museum, the National Gallery, and the Tate Modern, we have three of the world’s most popular museums. The city is a fantastic goldmine of ideas from so many different cultures.
Since Frieze’s inception, I’ve attended the fair every year and have had the pleasure of watching it grow enormously from its very humble beginnings. The location, in the heart of Regent’s Park, is really delightful, and from a business point of view, it brings a lot of people into London, which is also great! Personally, I prefer Frieze Masters because I’m very interested in the more established artists that I’ve been following for years.
Courtesy of Paul Smith
Visiting the fairs will certainly be keeping me busy, but for those in town for the fair, I really recommend a visit to the Royal Academy of Arts to see the “Matisse in the Studio” exhibition. Also, a trip over to the Tate Modern is a must—and you can pop in and see the new Blavatnik Building, which was designed by the amazing Herzog & de Meuron.
While I struggle with choosing favorite spots to visit, I always recommend the Sir John Soane’s for anyone visiting London! For a small museum, it’s wonderful because it’s a mad, eclectic mix of pieces collected by Sir John Soane himself—and it’s probably one of my favorites in the world. If I have time, in the middle of the day, I’ll pay a quick visit to The Delaunay, and if I have time to go a bit further, I head to Brindisa in Borough Market. If you’re looking for somewhere particularly special, Claridge’s is a truly iconic place for its stylish Art Deco feel.
John Chamberlain FIDDLERSFORTUNE (2010) Gagosian, Frieze Sculpture 2017. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.
In this issue of Whitewaller, you will find many more recommendations on where to go, what to see, and how to spend your time in London during the busy art fair week. And as your guest editor, I can assure you that with these recommendations, you will have a wonderful time throughout your stay—art, food, and fun included.
Marianne Boesky gallery presenting at Frieze London 2016. Photo by Linda Nylind.
— Paul Smith
Founder of Paul Smith Ltd.
