Upė Foundation is a London-based platform that draws currents between global and Baltic art communities through curatorial support, research and commissioning, amplifying adventurous ideas, underexplored perspectives and long-term exchanges across geographies.


Upė Foundation is pleased to join Frieze and the Czernecki Educational Foundation in supporting the Frieze Curator Travel Grant 2026, an initiative offering six emerging and mid-career curators across the Baltic region and Poland travel support, accommodation, VIP access to Frieze London and Frieze Masters, and the opportunity to participate in a funded curatorial visit to London during the fair, taking place from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 October 2026.
Frieze is a leading global contemporary art organisation, founded in 1991 with the launch of frieze magazine, and now encompassing art fairs, publications and digital platforms. The Czernecki Educational Foundation supports the arts and humanities in Central and Eastern Europe and fosters international exchange of ideas.
Together with Frieze, Upė Foundation and the Czernecki Educational Foundation share a commitment to enabling meaningful opportunities for curators from their regions to engage with the global contemporary art world.
The selected curators will receive:
- A grant covering the cost of travel from the Baltic region or Poland to London;
- Accommodation in London from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 October;
- VIP access to Frieze London and Frieze Masters;
- A 4-day itinerary of panel discussions, museum and gallery visits;
- Opportunities to connect with leading figures in the global art world.
The selection panel is Eva Langret, Director, Frieze EMEA; Leonie Mir, Head of VIP, Frieze EMEA; Adomas Narkevičius, Founding Director, Upė Foundation; and Helena Czernecka, HELA Press.
For full details and to apply, click here.
If you have any questions for the Frieze team, please contact Eliza.Rennie@frieze.com.
Applications close at 23.59 BST on 31 July 2026.

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Andrew Cummings is an art historian and curator from Wakefield, UK. Andrew studied for a PhD in Global Contemporary Art History at The Courtauld Institute of Art and Tate, and until 2025 was Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Decolonising Arts Institute, University of the Arts London. Previous exhibitions, programmes, and events include Dark Factory (MMCA Korea), A History of Future Contagion (Spike Island/The Courtauld) and Museum x Machine x Me (Tate). An alumnus of the Gwangju Biennale International Curators' Course, Andrew’s writing has been published by Tate Papers, Pilot Press, ArtReview, and the Burlington Contemporary.
Andrew Cummings joins at a pivotal moment in Tallinn Art Hall’s history, as its landmark site undergoes renovation ahead of reopening in November 2026. He will be responsible for curating the programme of a new black-box space within the historic building, developing exhibitions, screenings, performances, and other public formats in dialogue with Tallinn Art Hall’s wider programme. He will shape the programme in collaboration with the director and curatorial team, while working closely with artists and receiving production support from the institution’s in-house staff.
Upė Foundation is a London-based platform that draws currents between global and Baltic (Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian) art communities, setting new artistic, curatorial and research possibilities in motion. Upė focuses on horizontal, long-term exchange through a range of partnerships, fellowships and initiatives, amplifying new ideas, risk-taking work and underexplored perspectives. Upė is drawn to a field that is living, cross-disciplinary and imaginative, open to encounters between practices, contexts and communities.
Founding Patron
Justas Janauskas
Founding Director
Adomas Narkevičius
General enquiries
info@upefoundation.org
Press
isabel@sam-talbot.com

Upė Foundation is pleased to join Frieze and the Czernecki Educational Foundation in supporting the Frieze Curator Travel Grant 2026, an initiative offering six emerging and mid-career curators across the Baltic region and Poland travel support, accommodation, VIP access to Frieze London and Frieze Masters, and the opportunity to participate in a funded curatorial visit to London during the fair, taking place from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 October 2026.
Frieze is a leading global contemporary art organisation, founded in 1991 with the launch of frieze magazine, and now encompassing art fairs, publications and digital platforms. The Czernecki Educational Foundation supports the arts and humanities in Central and Eastern Europe and fosters international exchange of ideas.
Together with Frieze, Upė Foundation and the Czernecki Educational Foundation share a commitment to enabling meaningful opportunities for curators from their regions to engage with the global contemporary art world.
The selected curators will receive:
- A grant covering the cost of travel from the Baltic region or Poland to London;
- Accommodation in London from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 October;
- VIP access to Frieze London and Frieze Masters;
- A 4-day itinerary of panel discussions, museum and gallery visits;
- Opportunities to connect with leading figures in the global art world.
The selection panel is Eva Langret, Director, Frieze EMEA; Leonie Mir, Head of VIP, Frieze EMEA; Adomas Narkevičius, Founding Director, Upė Foundation; and Helena Czernecka, HELA Press.
For full details and to apply, click here.
If you have any questions for the Frieze team, please contact Eliza.Rennie@frieze.com.
Applications close at 23.59 BST on 31 July 2026.
