# Matthew Slotover

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British publisher

Matthew Slotover Born December 1968 (age 57) London, United Kingdom Occupations Entrepreneur, publisher Known for Co-founding art and media company Frieze Spouse Emily King

**Matthew Slotover** [OBE](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (born 1968) is an English [publisher](/source/Publisher) and [entrepreneur](/source/Entrepreneur). He co-founded [Frieze](/source/Frieze_(magazine)), a media and events company that has a focus on the [art scene](/source/Art_scene) and that also produces the annual [Frieze Art Fair](/source/Frieze_Art_Fair). in 2021 he co-founded [Toklas](http://www.toklaslondon.com) restaurant, London, and in 2022 he opened [Fort Road Hotel](http://www.fortroadhotel.com), Margate.

## Early life

Slotover was born in London and grew up in South Kensington. He attended [St Paul's School, London](/source/St_Paul's_School%2C_London) and then studied Psychology at [Oxford University](/source/Oxford_University).[1]

His paternal family (originally the Zlotovers) emigrated from Lithuania in the 1930s and settled in Newcastle.[2] Slotover's father, Robert Slotover manages classical musicians including the composer [Sir Harrison Birtwistle](/source/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](/source/Esquire_(magazine))* and [DC Comics](/source/DC_Comics) to the UK.[3]

He first became interested in contemporary art after visiting the [YBA](/source/Young_British_Artists) art exhibition [Modern Medicine](/source/Modern_Medicine_(art_exhibition)), in 1990.[4]

## Life and career

Marquees being erected in [Regents Park](/source/Regents_Park) in early October 2009 for the Frieze Art Fair

Slotover launched *[Frieze](/source/Frieze_(magazine))* in June 1991 with Tom Gidley as co-editor. The pilot issue featured the first ever magazine interview with [Damien Hirst](/source/Damien_Hirst),[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] with a detail of a Hirst butterfly painting on the cover. [Amanda Sharp](/source/Amanda_Sharp) joined *Frieze* in July 1991. In 1999, he founded Counter Editions, a low-cost, high-volume edition company, with [Carl Freedman](/source/Carl_Freedman) and Neville Wakefield.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

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

He was a judge on the [Turner Prize](/source/Turner_Prize) in 2000.[5] And in 1993, he curated a section of the Aperto at the [Venice Biennale](/source/Venice_Biennale), which included Damien Hirst, Mat Collishaw and Rirkrit Tiravanija.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

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](/source/Billy_Name); and *Designed by Peter Saville,* a retrospective of [Saville](/source/Peter_Saville_(graphic_designer))'s graphic design.

In 2009, Slotover received an honorary degree from [University of the Arts London](/source/University_of_the_Arts_London).[6][7]

In 2010, Slotover debated whether "art fairs are about money" with [Louisa Buck](/source/Louisa_Buck), [Matthew Collings](/source/Matthew_Collings), and [Jasper Joffe](/source/Jasper_Joffe) for the motion and against the motion [Norman Rosenthal](/source/Norman_Rosenthal), [Richard Wentworth](/source/Richard_Wentworth_(artist)), Matthew Slotover.[8] Joffe claims that his criticisms of [Frieze Art Fair](/source/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.[9]

In 2010, Slotover and Sharp were placed jointly at number 41 in the [ArtReview](/source/ArtReview) "Power 100", a list of influential people in fine arts.[10]

In May 2011, Slotover and Sharp announced the launch of two new art fairs - Frieze New York, and Frieze Masters.[11][12] Frieze Los Angeles was launched in 2019, followed by Frieze Seoul in 2021. Frieze is [now owned](https://news.artnet.com/market/william-morris-endeavor-frieze-stake-475892) by Endeavor.

Slotover and Sharp were both appointed [Officer of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (OBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to the visual arts.[13]

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

In 2022 he opened [Fort Road Hotel](http://www.fortroadhotel.com), 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](/source/Barnsbury_Square) in [Islington](/source/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.[14][15] In 2019 the planning rejection was overturned on appeal.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Fantastic Man 15 - Matthew Slotover"](https://www.bruil.info/product/fantastic-man-15-matthew-slotover/). *Bruil & van de Staaij*. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["All the fun of the fair"](https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2009/oct/03/aida-edemariam-interview-frieze-duo). *the Guardian*. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/THE+FAIR+GAME%3B+In+two+weeks,+the+key+players+in+the+contemporary+art...-a0137282339](http://www.thefreelibrary.com/THE+FAIR+GAME%3B+In+two+weeks,+the+key+players+in+the+contemporary+art...-a0137282339) [*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Aida Edemariam](/source/Aida_Edemariam) (3 October 2009). ["All the fun of the fair"](https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2009/oct/03/aida-edemariam-interview-frieze-duo). *The Guardian*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Haveron-Jones, Alexander (6 June 2021). ["In Conversation with Matthew Slotover"](https://cherwell.org/2021/06/06/in-conversation-with-matthew-slotover/). *Cherwell*. Retrieved 1 February 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Frieze frame"](http://www.arts.ac.uk/newsevents/3066/frieze-frame/). Retrieved 21 August 2010.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["University of the Arts London - University of the Arts London Honorary Awards 14 May 2009"](http://www.arts.ac.uk/news/52769.htm). Retrieved 21 August 2010.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Debate: Art Fairs Are About Money Not Art"](http://magazine.saatchionline.com/articles/debate-art-fairs-are-about-money-not-art).{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Diary: Joffe's jokey picture falls flat with Frieze"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/diary/diary-joffes-jokey-picture-falls-flat-with-frieze-2105072.html). *The Independent*. 12 October 2010. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/diary/diary-joffes-jokey-picture-falls-flat-with-frieze-2105072.html) from the original on 12 May 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Power 100 / Art Review"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110320132630/http://www.artreview100.com/people/691/). Art Review. 2011. Archived from [the original](http://www.artreview100.com/people/691/) on 20 March 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["From Frieze to triptych"](https://www.ft.com/content/e2308e16-8266-11e0-8c49-00144feabdc0). *Financial Times*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221211221206/https://www.ft.com/content/e2308e16-8266-11e0-8c49-00144feabdc0) from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Jonathan Jones (20 May 2011). ["New Masters fair should end the classic art Frieze-out"](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2011/may/20/frieze-masters-art-fair). *The Guardian*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["No. 60009"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/60009/supplement/12). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)* (Supplement). 31 December 2011. p. 12.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Neighbours get preview of couple's townhouse plan"](http://camdennewjournal.com/article/neighbours-get-preview-of-couples-townhouse-plan). *Camden New Journal*. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Couple's bid to build dream home is dashed"](http://islingtontribune.com/article/couples-bid-to-build-dream-home-is-dashed). *Islington Tribune*. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

v t e Young British Artists Artists Fiona Banner Henry Bond Christine Borland Glenn Brown Angela Bulloch Jake and Dinos Chapman Adam Chodzko Mat Collishaw Ian Davenport Tacita Dean Tracey Emin Angus Fairhurst Nick Fudge Anya Gallaccio Liam Gillick Douglas Gordon Marcus Harvey Damien Hirst Gary Hume Michael Landy Abigail Lane Chris Ofili Sarah Lucas Stephen Park Richard Patterson Simon Patterson Steven Pippin Marc Quinn Fiona Rae Alessandro Raho Jenny Saville Georgina Starr Sam Taylor-Johnson Gavin Turk Gillian Wearing Rachel Whiteread Jane and Louise Wilson Teachers Basil Beattie Helen Chadwick Michael Craig-Martin Ian Jeffrey Jon Thompson Mark Wallinger Richard Wentworth Influences Art & Language Art in Ruins Conceptual art Gilbert & George Jeff Koons John Stezaker Andy Warhol Lawrence Weiner Artworks 24 Hour Psycho Break Down Bullet Hole Documents Series Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 For the Love of God House My Bed Myra No Woman No Cry 26 October 1993 The Upper Room State Britain Tense The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living Shows Brilliant! East Country Yard Show Freeze Modern Medicine Sensation Curators Joshua Compston Carl Freedman Gregor Muir Norman Rosenthal Jon Thompson Galleries Anthony d'Offay Gallery Curtain Road Arts City Racing Gagosian Gallery Karsten Schubert Gallery Lisson Gallery Maureen Paley Saatchi Gallery Sadie Coles HQ South London Gallery Victoria Miro Gallery White Cube Collectors Bernard Arnault Janet Wolfson de Botton Eli Broad Frank Cohen Steven A. Cohen Dakis Joannou Pauline Karpidas George Michael Jose Mugrabi François Pinault Miuccia Prada Charles Saatchi Jack Wendler Poju and Anita Zabludowicz Advocates Louisa Buck Matthew Collings Richard Cork Andrew Graham-Dixon Sarah Kent Stuart Morgan Norman Rosenthal Sir Nicholas Serota Matthew Slotover Opponents BANK Billy Childish James Heartfield Matthew Higgs David Lee Brian Sewell Julian Stallabrass Stuckists Charles Thomson Related Conceptual art Frieze Art Fair Momart Post-YBAs Turner Prize

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matthew Slotover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Slotover) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Slotover?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.