Fatoş Üstek

Fatoş Üstek is a curator, writer, and cultural thinker with over two decades of international expertise. She is currently working on establishing a new art institution, inspired by her forthcoming book The Art Institution of Tomorrow Reinventing the Model (Lund Humphries, 2024). The book presents a forward-looking model for art institutions, emphasising agency in financial, operational, and artistic realms. Previously, Üstek served as the director of two prominent UK art institutions, the Liverpool Biennial and The Roberts Institute of Art. She is the Co-founder and Director of FRANK Fair Artist Pay and has been the curator of Frieze Sculpture, London, since 2023. Her curatorial projects include biennials, exhibitions, festivals, and large-scale public art commissions, fostering new connections between art, audiences, and urban spaces.

Throughout her career, Üstek has significantly contributed to cultural legacy projects. Under her curatorial guidance, 156 works by 96 artists have been acquired into national and international institutional collections through her roles at Frieze Sculpture, Liverpool Biennial, fig-futures, and the Arts Council Collection Acquisitions Committee. She has spearheaded major initiatives, including Art Night 2017 (London’s largest contemporary art festival) and fig-2, 50 exhibitions in 50 weeks at the ICA in 2015.

A highly regarded voice in the cultural sector, Üstek is frequently invited to serve on international juries and advisory panels. These include the Turner Prize (2020), the Scottish Pavilion (2022), and the Netherlands Pavilion (2022 and 2024) for the Venice Biennale, as well as Art Senses (2026) and the Art of Progress Award (2026). She nominates artists for prestigious awards such as the Fourth Plinth, Sam Gilliam Award, and the Jarman Award. Additionally, she is a member of advisory boards for institutions like the Istanbul Modern Acquisitions Committee, Urbane Künste Ruhr, and Extra Extra Magazine. Üstek is committed to supporting artists and early-career curators.

As a sought-after keynote speaker, Üstek has delivered lectures at leading institutions, including Tate Modern, the Stedelijk Museum, MUDAM, and the Barbican, among many others. Her written work is extensively featured in exhibition catalogues, journals, and academic publications. Notable editorial projects include the exhibition publication Cascading Principles: Expansions within Geometry, Philosophy and Interference at the Oxford Mathematical Institute (2024) and the acclaimed project publication fig-2 (2018).