Matthew Slotover

{{Short description|British publisher}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Matthew Slotover | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1968|12}} | birth_place = [[London]], [[United Kingdom]] | occupation = [[Entrepreneur]], [[publisher]] | years_active = | known_for = Co-founding art and media company [[Frieze (magazine)|Frieze]] | notable_works = | spouse = Emily King }}

'''Matthew Slotover''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} (born 1968) is an English [[publisher]] and [[entrepreneur]]. He co-founded [[Frieze (magazine)|Frieze]], a media and events company that has a focus on the [[art scene]] and that also produces the annual [[Frieze Art Fair]]. in 2021 he co-founded [http://www.toklaslondon.com Toklas] restaurant, London, and in 2022 he opened [http://www.fortroadhotel.com Fort Road Hotel], Margate.

== Early life == Slotover was born in London and grew up in South Kensington. He attended [[St Paul's School, London]] and then studied Psychology at [[Oxford University]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fantastic Man 15 - Matthew Slotover|url=https://www.bruil.info/product/fantastic-man-15-matthew-slotover/|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Bruil & van de Staaij|language=en-GB}}</ref>

His paternal family (originally the Zlotovers) emigrated from Lithuania in the 1930s and settled in Newcastle.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2009-10-02|title=All the fun of the fair|url=http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2009/oct/03/aida-edemariam-interview-frieze-duo|access-date=2021-05-10|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Slotover's father, Robert Slotover manages classical musicians including the composer [[Sir Harrison Birtwistle]]; his mother Jill Slotover is a children's book editor. Matthew's maternal grandfather, Richard Kravitz was an American magazine publisher who introduced ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' and [[DC Comics]] to the UK.<ref>http://www.thefreelibrary.com/THE+FAIR+GAME%3B+In+two+weeks,+the+key+players+in+the+contemporary+art...-a0137282339 {{dead link|date=May 2021}}</ref>

He first became interested in contemporary art after visiting the [[Young British Artists|YBA]] art exhibition [[Modern Medicine (art exhibition)|Modern Medicine]], in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|author=Aida Edemariam|author-link=Aida Edemariam|date=3 October 2009|title=All the fun of the fair|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2009/oct/03/aida-edemariam-interview-frieze-duo|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

==Life and career== [[File:Preparing for Frieze Art Fair, Regents Park (6) - geograph.org.uk - 1524041.jpg |thumb |right|Marquees being erected in [[Regents Park]] in early October 2009 for the Frieze Art Fair]] Slotover launched ''[[Frieze (magazine)|Frieze]]'' in June 1991 with Tom Gidley as co-editor. The pilot issue featured the first ever magazine interview with [[Damien Hirst]],{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} with a detail of a Hirst butterfly painting on the cover. [[Amanda Sharp]] joined ''Frieze'' in July 1991. In 1999, he founded Counter Editions, a low-cost, high-volume edition company, with [[Carl Freedman]] and Neville Wakefield.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

Slotover is chair of Margate's [https://turnercontemporary.org/about/our-staff-and-trustees/ Turner Contemporary], and serves on the board of [https://www.sadlerswells.com/about-us/our-people/board-of-trustees/ Sadlers Wells]. In 2021 with Caius Pawson he co-founded [https://www.murmur.earth Murmur], a charity to combat the climate crisis via the arts.

He was a judge on the [[Turner Prize]] in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haveron-Jones |first=Alexander |date=2021-06-06 |title=In Conversation with Matthew Slotover |url=https://cherwell.org/2021/06/06/in-conversation-with-matthew-slotover/ |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Cherwell |language=en-GB}}</ref> And in 1993, he curated a section of the Aperto at the [[Venice Biennale]], which included Damien Hirst, Mat Collishaw and Rirkrit Tiravanija.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

Through ''Frieze,'' Slotover published the books: ''What the Butler Saw - The Selected Writings of Stuart Morgan;'' ''All Tomorrow's Parties - Photographs of Andy Warhol’s Factory,'' by [[Billy Name]]; and ''Designed by Peter Saville,'' a retrospective of [[Peter Saville (graphic designer)|Saville]]'s graphic design.

In 2009, Slotover received an honorary degree from [[University of the Arts London]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arts.ac.uk/newsevents/3066/frieze-frame/ |title=Frieze frame |access-date=2010-08-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721030602/http://www.arts.ac.uk/newsevents/3066/frieze-frame/ |archive-date=21 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arts.ac.uk/news/52769.htm |title=University of the Arts London - University of the Arts London Honorary Awards 14 May 2009 |access-date=2010-08-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20091005232107/http://www.arts.ac.uk/news/52769.htm |archive-date=5 October 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In 2010, Slotover debated whether "art fairs are about money" with [[Louisa Buck]], [[Matthew Collings]], and [[Jasper Joffe]] for the motion and against the motion [[Norman Rosenthal]], [[Richard Wentworth (artist)|Richard Wentworth]], Matthew Slotover.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://magazine.saatchionline.com/articles/debate-art-fairs-are-about-money-not-art |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104193151/http://magazine.saatchionline.com/articles/debate-art-fairs-are-about-money-not-art |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-04 |title=Debate: Art Fairs Are About Money Not Art }}</ref> Joffe claims that his criticisms of [[Frieze Art Fair]] led to his work being banned from the fair in 2010. ''Frieze'' replied that Resonance FM had hung a number of works, including Joffe's, against their agreement with the fair, and that to ensure a high quality level, artworks in the fair are included only via the galleries in the fair who are selected by the selection committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/diary/diary-joffes-jokey-picture-falls-flat-with-frieze-2105072.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/diary/diary-joffes-jokey-picture-falls-flat-with-frieze-2105072.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Diary: Joffe's jokey picture falls flat with Frieze|work=The Independent|date=12 October 2010}}</ref>

In 2010, Slotover and Sharp were placed jointly at number 41 in the [[ArtReview]] "Power 100", a list of influential people in fine arts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artreview100.com/people/691/|title=Power 100 / Art Review |publisher=Art Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320132630/http://www.artreview100.com/people/691/ |archive-date=March 20, 2011 |year=2011 }}</ref>

In May 2011, Slotover and Sharp announced the launch of two new art fairs - Frieze New York, and Frieze Masters.<ref>{{cite web |title=From Frieze to triptych |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e2308e16-8266-11e0-8c49-00144feabdc0 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221211221206/https://www.ft.com/content/e2308e16-8266-11e0-8c49-00144feabdc0 |archive-date=11 December 2022 |work=Financial Times |access-date=7 October 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Jonathan Jones |date=20 May 2011 |title=New Masters fair should end the classic art Frieze-out |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2011/may/20/frieze-masters-art-fair |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Frieze Los Angeles was launched in 2019, followed by Frieze Seoul in 2021. Frieze is [https://news.artnet.com/market/william-morris-endeavor-frieze-stake-475892 now owned] by Endeavor.

Slotover and Sharp were both appointed [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to the visual arts.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60009 |date=31 December 2011 |page=12 |supp=y}}</ref>

In 2021 he co-founded [http://www.toklaslondon.com Toklas] restaurant, London, with Frieze co-founder Amanda Sharp.

In 2022 he opened [http://www.fortroadhotel.com Fort Road Hotel], Margate with Gabriel Chipperfield and Tom Gidley.

== Personal life == Slotover is married to design historian Emily King.

In April 2017, the couple unsuccessfully applied for planning permission to build a townhouse just off [[Barnsbury Square]] in [[Islington]], North London. They would have had to make a £50,000 contribution to affordable housing in the borough, if the plans had been approved, but the application was rejected on the grounds that the plans constituted an under-use of the land, and over concerns regarding the destruction of nearby trees.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Neighbours get preview of couple's townhouse plan|url=http://camdennewjournal.com/article/neighbours-get-preview-of-couples-townhouse-plan|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Camden New Journal|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Couple's bid to build dream home is dashed|url=http://islingtontribune.com/article/couples-bid-to-build-dream-home-is-dashed|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Islington Tribune|language=en-gb}}</ref> In 2019 the planning rejection was overturned on appeal.

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slotover, Matthew}} [[Category:Publishers (people) from London]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:1968 births]]