Athens-based artist Theo Triantafyllidis has been named the recipient of the 2026 Frieze London Artist Award, marking another major international recognition for one of Greece’s most innovative digital artists. Presented for the first time in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, and co-commissioned and co-produced with Forma, the award will premiere a new large-scale participatory installation at Frieze London, taking place from 14 to 18 October in The Regent’s Park.
A giant spider that invites participation
For the commission, Triantafyllidis presents Feral Metaverse (Spider) (2026), an immersive sculptural installation that extends his ongoing multiplayer game into physical space. At the centre of the project stands a monumental climbable spider sculpture that functions as a gateway into a shared digital environment, where visitors must collaborate to navigate the experience.
Rather than competing, players are encouraged to cooperate, forming temporary collective bodies-towers, wheels, group embraces or even spiders themselves-that exist simultaneously in the physical installation and its virtual counterpart. The work continues Triantafyllidis’ long-standing exploration of multiplayer gaming, social interaction and the increasingly fluid relationship between digital and physical realities.
For the artist, the spider operates as a complex symbol: unsettling yet intelligent, creative, fragile and unexpectedly tender. While its imposing scale may initially provoke unease, its soft, tactile surface encourages visitors to climb, touch and interact with it, transforming the exhibition from a space of passive viewing into one of collective participation.
Reflecting on the award, Triantafyllidis said:
“It’s a great honour to be given this kind of opportunity at such a key moment in my practice. I get to assemble my team in Athens and push both the game and the sculptural form further than before, with a group of people who really believe in the project and the vision. It feels like a supported leap of faith, and a real next step for the work.”
Theo Triantafyllidis, Feral Metaverse (Spider), 2026, digital installation render. Courtesy the artist & The Breeder.Theo Triantafyllidis, ‘Feral Metaverse’, 2023 – ongoing. Installation view from if/then group exhibition at Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw, PL, 2025. Image by Błażej PindorTheo Triantafyllidis, photo by Paris Tavitian, LIFO
Feral Metaverse has been evolving since 2023 through exhibitions and performances that merge gaming culture, performance art and sculpture. Rather than treating technology as an isolated virtual experience, Triantafyllidis explores how digital environments can foster new forms of cooperation, embodiment and social interaction.
This year’s Frieze London Artist Award specifically invited artists to investigate advanced technologies-including artificial intelligence-not merely as tools but as creative collaborators, making Triantafyllidis’ practice particularly aligned with the award’s expanded focus.
Established in 2014, the Frieze London Artist Award supports artists at pivotal moments in their careers, enabling them to realise ambitious new commissions presented during the fair. Previous recipients include Sophia Al-Maria, Lawrence Lek, Adham Faramawy, Abbas Zahedi, Sung Tieu, Alberta Whittle and Himali Singh Soin.
Commenting on this year’s selection, Frieze EMEA director Eva Langret said:
“With Feral Metaverse (Spider), Theo has created something that demands physical presence—you have to be there, in the room, climbing it, playing it, figuring it out with strangers. We are proud to present it at Frieze London this October.”
The installation will be unveiled during Frieze London, running from 14–18 October 2026 at The Regent’s Park in London. For Triantafyllidis, whose practice has consistently blurred the boundaries between gaming, sculpture and performance, the commission marks a significant milestone in an increasingly international career.
elc team
