Emanuela Tarizzo Helms Frieze Masters
Emanuela Tarizzo, a 30-year-old Italian woman, has been appointed director of the London-based art fair Frieze Masters. The news has sparked applause and debates as Frieze Masters remains one of the most significant art fairs globally.
Frieze Masters is an art exhibition devoted to ancient and modern art. The show has happened annually since 2012. Emanuela Tarizzo will take on the role in April. The 13th edition of the show is set for October 15-19, 2025, in Regent’s Park, alongside Frieze London. It features collectable items, antiquities, and artefacts. In 2024, over 130 international galleries participated in the event.
Emanuela Tarizzo’s Journey to Frieze Masters
The newly appointed director of Frieze Masters, Emanuela Tarizzo, will succeed Nathan Clements-Gillespie, who has led the fair for the past four years. She finished her art education at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She also worked at Christie’s from 2012 until 2021. Since 2020, she has also frontiered the London Art Week Community Interest Company, an initiative that promotes the arts in London and manages the cultural program.
Before this achievement, Emanuela Tarizzo was an independent art advisor, consultant, and Gallery Director at the Tomasso British Gallery. The gallery operates in London and Leeds, with a sharp focus on Old Masters, European sculpture, and ancient art. They have participated in the convention multiple times and might’ve been the channel for Tarizzo, developed over years of working with dealers, collectors, museums, and scholars.
What Does Emanuela Tarizzo Bring to the Frieze Masters?
Emanuela Tarizzo has extensive art market experience and gravitates towards historical art. The Frieze Masters will carry some of these tones. Her primary responsibility would be to manage gallery participation and curatorial projects through a research-focused approach. Emanuela Tarizzo will collaborate closely with Eva Langret, Frieze’s Director for EMEA and the Frieze Masters team.
In a Frieze report, Kristell Chadé, the executive director of Frieze Masters also notes, “We are delighted to welcome Emanuela as director of Frieze Masters. Her extensive knowledge of the art market, combined with a rigorous approach to historical art, will strengthen the fair’s unique position as an essential platform for defining works of art history and deepen relationships with leading museums and collectors whose insight and ambition shape the field.”
Why Is the Appointment an Important Moment for Frieze Masters
Emanuela Tarizzo’s appointment as the Director for Frieze Masters comes amidst a period of uncertainty. This is because majority shareholders, Endeavor, considered selling it to the investment group, Silver Lake. This will allow them to expand the fair’s ideology and its mission to redefine the connection between historical and contemporary art.
Emanuela Tarizzo on Becoming Frieze Masters’ Director
Finestre Sull’ Arte reports Emanuela Tarizzo, as she says, “I am honoured to join Frieze Masters at such a crucial time. Since its inception, the fair has stood out for its innovative narrative, inviting new perspectives on historical art and dialogue with contemporary audiences. Rooted in London, a city with a truly international perspective and a longstanding reputation as a centre of expertise, Frieze Masters continues to be a dynamic meeting place for collectors, curators and galleries. I look forward to building on that founding vision as we shape the distinctive identity of the fair.”
Image Courtesy – YouTube via BADA
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