黑料不打烊

And now the moment you鈥檝e all been waiting for...Stop whatever you鈥檙e doing and Freeze! Or, Frieze, we should say...that鈥檚 right art lovers, Fall is ushering in another round of Frieze, and 2011鈥檚 show is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The highly-anticipated Frieze Art Fair is back at Regent鈥檚 Park from October 13-16, and the London capital is already abuzz with excitement. Representing 33 countries and featuring 173 cutting-edge contemporary art galleries from across the globe, with seasoned Frieze veterans and emerging talents alike clamoring the fair grounds - over 1,000 innovative artists will be exhibited, to be exact. Highlights include our two favorite factions of the fair: the always unique Special Projects and the outdoor Sculpture Park.

Also back again is the section of Frieze, dedicated to galleries under six years old, this year showcasing 25 galleries presenting solo artist displays. Frame first debuted in 2009, and has proven a successful addition to the fair, bringing much-deserved attention to young galleries.

Last year, we interviewed Frieze Director and co-founder Amanda Sharp, who discussed how the fair has evolved over the years, and gave her insights as to how the fair continues to surprise visitors with each new edition. We also spoke with Sarah McCrory on her role as curator of Special Projects - this month we caught up with McCrory again as she makes her second turn heading this segment of the show.

McCrory took part in Frieze鈥檚 first-ever collaboration with , a comprehensive interdisciplinary organization that promotes cultural, scientific, and artistic initiatives. The Emdash award was presented to an emerging artist living outside the UK, selected by a panel of judges, including curator McCrory. This year鈥檚 award was given to Anahita Razmi, a video and performance artist based in Stuttgart. Her works center on identity and gender through the use of cultural symbols. (right: Anahita Razmi, China Girl, 2009 photography 90x60 cm. Photo courtesy of Frieze) Ramzhi was crowned winner from over 550 international applicants, and her work speaks for itself - literally. 鈥淎nahita is re-performing 'Roof Piece', a seminal dance work by Trisha Brown, but in Tehran,鈥� McCrory explains. 鈥淭he work will be screened around the fair and is an interpretation of a work but with a political element - the rooftops of the buildings in Tehran are significant as they are hidden from the street and therefore it's possible to transmit information and messages across the rooftops.鈥�

This is also McCrory鈥檚 second year curating Special Projects, and she has held various roles during prior editions of Frieze, starting as a project assistant and fair assistant at the first Frieze in 2003. While curating the Special Projects sector is never simple, McCrory says 2010鈥檚 edition proved especially formidable, as it was her first time curating at the fair. As for the artists themselves, there are eight artists and collaborators in this year鈥檚 special projects. All of the works are unique, but there is an emphasis on interactive pieces, inviting the audience to participate in order to relay different artistic narratives. (Check out our interview with Special Projects Artist Duo Bik Van der Pol, and take a look at the other artists partaking in Special Projects this year).

鈥淭he most challenging part has been effectively programming a year鈥檚 worth of projects to happen in one week,鈥� McCrory said previously of the 2010 show. This was due, in part, to coordinating the number of ambitious, large-scale installations, and two partner institutions, Vector Association and Signal, Malm枚. 鈥淭o be honest, the projects last year were pretty challenging,鈥� she now says. This year came with its own unique set of challenges, as the curator mentioned: 鈥淧roblems with U.S. Customs (which ended up donating our "star" marine life to a local aquarium in New York), craning Jankowski's boat through the fair roof, hosting over 60 artists and performers for LuckyPDFs project - to name just a few.鈥� (above: Spartacus Chetwynd, A Tax Haven Run by Women (A Luna Park Game Show) Commissioned and produced by Frieze Foundation for Frieze Projects 2010, Photo by Polly Braden)

But McCrory did tell us that 鈥渢he challenges are the things that I luckily have amazing support for, like co-ordination and logistics and installing in such a short time on a site that the artists may not have yet seen.鈥� The work always pays off, though, as the number of visitors to the fair is around 60,000 each year, and it is one of the biggest highlights of the fall season. This year鈥檚 fair is showcasing a stellar array of artworks, estimated by international insurer Hiscox to be worth approximately $350 million.