LONDON.- Frieze Foundation announced that Frieze Projects East opened. Curated and produced by Frieze Foundation, Frieze Projects East is a series of six new public art projects that form part of the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad. Frieze Projects East is Frieze Foundation’s first programme in public spaces.

The artists that are taking part in Frieze Projects East are: Can Altay, Sarnath Banerjee, Anthea Hamilton & Nicholas Byrne, Gary Webb and Klaus Weber, as well as Ruth Ewan, the recipient of the CREATE art award. The series has been programmed by Frieze Foundation curator Sarah McCrory.

The projects are taking place in the six east London Host Boroughs for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Barking & Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest and will seek to engage both local audiences and visitors to the area.

Frieze Projects East has been commissioned by CREATE and The London 2012 Festival as part of their commitment to bring the best artists to east London in 2012. The series receives significant funding support from the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor and Arts Council England.

Sarah McCrory said of the new series: ‘For the first time Frieze Foundation is producing a number of projects outside Frieze Art Fair. Frieze Projects East is to take place in the Olympic host boroughs of east London, where Frieze is based and in which many of us live. The projects have relationships with the communities in which they are based but stay true to the artists’ vision and ambition. It has been a great opportunity to deliver projects by international artists to a local audience and to continue the commitment to producing significant challenging works since the inception of the fair in 2003.’

Ruth Mackenzie, Director of Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival, remarked: ‘We’re delighted to be a co-commissioner of Frieze Projects East, which is one of the highlights of the London 2012 Festival. East London is now one of Europe’s most exciting artistic centres and these commissions reflect the overall values of the Games in terms of of audience development and regeneration. They also introduce us to works by new and emerging artists.’

Hadrian Garrard, CREATE Director, observed: ‘CREATE works to connect artists with the communities of east London in ambitious, surprising and meaningful ways. So we are delighted to be working with Frieze Foundation and bringing their internationally-renowned programme to east London for the first time. From giant inflatables giving new life to Poplar Baths to beautiful sculptures that encourage families to play, these projects have been created to inspire public involvement and pleasure.’

Like all work produced under the auspices of Frieze Foundation, Frieze Projects East will realize ambitious ideas in exceptional environments.

The London 2012 Festival is a 12-week nationwide celebration that will run until 9 September bringing together leading artists from across the world with the best from the UK.

The CREATE 2012 summer programme runs until the end of August and features new commissions and artistic collaborations in numerous venues across east London.