Alvaro Barrington at Blum & Poe, all images via Art Observed
After several weeks of fairs in San Francisco and Mexico City, marking the early notes in another year of busy contemporary art fairs around the globe, Frieze Los Angeles, one of the premier events of the early year, has once again opened in the sprawling California metropolis, this year setting up shop amid the gleaming sun and striking expanses of the Santa Monica Airport. Taking place for the first time at this location (previously known as a former site for the Art Los Angeles Contemporary fair), the fair expands to feature more than 120 galleries, including new specialists in 20th-century art, alongside restaurants and Frieze Projects spread across the multiple sites.
Wolfgang Tillmans at Maureen Paley
Sarah Lucas at Sadie Coles HQ
The new location hasn’t dulled the fair’s adventurous and engaging approach to the fair landscape, to be sure. With Christine Messineo, Frieze’s Director of Americas at the helm, the expanded iteration continues a reputation for major world-leading galleries, alongside some of the US’s emerging spaces. The new location of the fair will allow for an expanded footprint and a wider selection of galleries and collaborations with non-profit organizations, as well as a series of new ambitious activations, and pop-ups, as well as the fair’s standard offering of shows, projects and talks. And the early hours were a confirmation of its vitality with packed aisles featuring celebrities, dealers and artists meandering the booths and surveying the works.
JoseÌ Davila at Sean Kelly
Jim Lambie at The Modern Institute
Throughout, expansive and imaginative booths dominated the fair landscape. At Sadie Coles, for instance, one could view a striking series of works by Sarah Lucas, while hometown favorite David Kordansky was showing a series of vivid, expressive works by painter Chase Hall, alternating between surreal juxtapositions of the body and scenes of modern life. Over at the Sean Kelly booth, the gallery was presenting pieces by Sam Moyer, José Davila, and more from the gallery roster, while at another Los Angeles mainstay, Blum & Poe, one could view new work by Alvaro Barrington. Luhring Augustine also presented a commanding booth, running through a range of both historically-resonant and modern works that included pieces by Jeremy Moon, Buck Ellison and others.
Chase Hall at David Kordansky
Buck Ellison at Luhring Augustine
With the crown jewel of LA’s bustling art week now open, the city’s galleries and studios will certainly come alive this week as well. Art Observed will be on-site and showcasing the best events and exhibitions all week. The fair will run through February 19th.
Anish Kapoor at Regen Projects
– D. Creahan
Read more:
Frieze Los Angeles [Exhibition Site]
