This autumn, dunhill will partner with Frieze Masters to bring the much-celebrated content programme, Frieze Masters Talks, back to the fair for the first time since 2019.
Internationally acclaimed, Frieze Masters offers a contemporary perspective on thousands of years of art history and features collectible objects across the ages, from masterpieces of the ancient era and Old Masters to icons of the 20th Century. The Frieze Masters Talks in partnership with dunhill, will be curated by Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, and hosted within dunhill’s design-led auditorium at the fair. The partnership further cements the House’s new vision and direction in terms of supporting cultural legacy and creating intelligent conversations.
Pairing influential international artists, such as Maggi Hambling and Sarah Lucas with leading industry figures, Sheena Wagstaff and Louisa Buck, the talks series will comprise several illuminating discussions across the five-day fair exploring connections between historical art and contemporary practice.
The dunhill space at Frieze Masters is multifunctional in design, imbuing the revitalised savoir faire of the House, distilling a sense of masculine elegance and classicism. Made to Measure fabrics will take centre stage across soft furnishings and the cladding of a focal wall, whilst extraordinary pieces from dunhill’s archive and current offering, curated by Nick Foulkes, author of Dunhill by Design, will be exhibited throughout the space.
To launch the partnership, a kick-off event will take place on Friday 6th October at Bourdon House, dunhill’s flagship boutique in the heart of Mayfair. Tim Marlow, Director of the Design Museum will chair a panel talk between the National Portrait Gallery’s Dr Nicholas Cullinan, visual artist Shirin Neshat and architect Jamie Fobert, who – alongside Cullinan – led the transformation of the new National Portrait Gallery.
In addition to the talks hosted at Bourdon House and at Frieze Masters, the programme will extend to a special late night hosted by the National Portrait Gallery on Friday 13th October and will see Dr Nicholas Cullinan in conversation with Tim Walker, Tilda Swinton and Jerry Stafford followed by a conversation with Gilbert and George. This late night programme will be livestreamed by the National Portrait Gallery and contribute to the programme’s commitment to public accessibility.
Documenting the discussions, each talk will be recorded, and a resulting podcast series will be released weekly from November, proliferating the conversations and making them available to a wider audience.
The dunhill x Frieze Masters Talks line-up to include:
Wednesday, 11th October, 3pm:
Thomas J Price in conversation with Dr Gus Casely-Hayford (Director, V&A East)
Thursday 12th October at 12pm:
Arlene Shechet in conversation with Sheena Wagstaff (Chair of Modern and Contemporary Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York to 2022)
Thursday 12th October at 3pm:
Rachel Whiteread in conversation with Briony Fer (art historian)
Friday 13th October at 3pm:
Maggi Hambling and Sarah Lucas in conversation with Louisa Buck (Contributing Editor and Contemporary Art Correspondent, The Art Newspaper)
Saturday 14th October at 3pm:
Mandy El Sayegh in conversation with Flavia Frigeri (Curator, National Portrait Gallery) and Valerie Cassel Oliver (Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)
