London’s Contemporary Frieze Art Fair Arrives in New York [PHOTOS]

The London-based annual Frieze art fair has launched its first New York edition on Randall's Island welcoming a host of art connoisseurs, VIPs and other individuals.

Running from 4 May to 7 May, 2012; the Frieze New York is a form of outdoor art fair organised by the Brooklyn firm SO-IL in the form of a 250,000-square-foot white tent.

Around 180 contemporary art galleries are being set inside with a touch of both European and American signature spectacle. Galleries that are regular exhibitors at Frieze London are accompanied by those new to Frieze. Included in the newly added section are the young galleries in Frame, a section dedicated to those established less than six years ago. The New York fair has also introduced Focus, a section for galleries opened in or after 2001 showing a presentation of up to three gallery artists.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Frieze's original London iteration began in 2003 and has become a major date on Europe's art-fair calendar. Fairgoers at a preview on Thursday said the four-day US offshoot was a stop worth adding to art's busy spring season, despite the challenge for locals and visitors alike: how to get there.

The NY art fair also benefits from a programme of specially commissioned projects curated by Cecilia Alemani and produced under the auspices of a non-profit arm.

Artists have been invited to react to the exceptional environment of Frieze New York by creating special projects involving the island's unique geography. The eight artists who will participate in Frieze Projects New York are: John Ahearn, Uri Aran, Latifa Echakhch, Joel Kyack, Rick Moody, Virginia Overton, Tim Rollins and K O S. and Ulla von Brandenburg.

According to the Los Angeles Times, gallery director Stuart Krimko said they could have squeezed in more work by more artists but decided to focus on Pestoni instead as a prologue to Pestoni's first solo show in his hometown of LA, at the gallery in November.

"There is a typical art fair experience the bling people expect," the LA Times quoted Krimko as saying. "But part of doing the art fair now is challenging expectations. So we wanted to do something more serious."

Catch a glimpse of the art exhibits: