Italy at Frieze is an initiative that has been run by the Embassy since 2019 to showcase Italian art in London during the week of Frieze London, an annual contemporary art fair. Italy at Frieze is a series of events focused on art, aimed at promoting Italian artists and galleries. The initiative has become a must-attend event, so much so that it has been included in the official Frieze London VIP programme.
Italy at Frieze consists of talks by Italian artists and experts, as well as an exhibition of works loaned by the Italian galleries participating in the fair. The installation embraces a range of forms of artistic expression, from figurative to abstract, from conceptual art to environmental art.
The project transforms the Embassy into a space that reflects the excellence of our country, displaying the best of the Italian creative industry and celebrating the diverse and innovative creations of our modern and contemporary artists, not only for their expressive value but also for their economic value.
The Collezione Farnesina and Quirinale Contemporaneo, the art collections of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the residency of the President of the Italian Republic respectively, have shown art to be a driving force for Italy’s soft diplomacy. Frieze was a natural opportunity to expand the scope to London, making our initiative not only a promotional event for Italian galleries and artists but also a meeting point between institutions and internationally renowned museum operators.