While the temperature dips below freezing in much of the U.S., Los Angeles remains sunny, as it generally is year round, and will see temperatures kick up a few notches as Frieze LA makes its triumphant return.
Now housed at its new location on the southeast corner of the Santa Monica Airport, Frieze will boast over 120 galleries from 22 countries, including seasoned heavyweights and exciting newcomers, as well as an expanded Focus section. As part of its annual Frieze Projects portion, this year will feature a monumental sculpture by the late-Chris Burden and an immersive musical performance at the Santa Monica Pier. Additionally there will be two site-specific programs to fully embrace the expanded grounds — the first, Now Playing, is made in collaboration with Art Production Fund, featuring artists who shed light on the often overlooked facets of daily life in LA — from the food stalls, car culture, sports fandom and more. Participating artists include Autumn Breon, Chris Burden, Jose Dávila, Basil Kincaid, Divya Mehra, Ruben Ochoa, Alake Shilling and Jennifer West.
Curated by Jay Ezra Nayssan and Del Vaz Projects, Against the Edge takes place at a number of culturally significant sites across LA’s Westside — each installation serving as a dialogue between the artist and the surrounding area it is being exhibited. The program will showcase French artist Nicola L. at the Thomas Mann House in Pacific Palisades, Kelly Akashi at the Villa Aurora and Tony Cokes at Beyond Baroque, amongst others.
Frieze LA 2023 will commence from February 16 to 19 at the Santa Monica Airport. Please visit the fair’s website for programming and tickets. For those attending, check out our five must-see exhibitions and let us know your comments below.
Pace, Booth D8
Courtesy Of The Artist And Pace
Pace is amongst the group of blue-chip galleries that has permanently nestled in the City of Angels since Frieze’s first LA fair in 2019. This year’s booth will present a range of legendary figures, both from the 20th Century and working artists today. Highlights include Agnes Martin‘s meditative Untitled #4 (1996), a hyper-surreal charcoal depiction of an iceberg by Robert Longo, two artworks by Yoshitomo Nara, a 1960 standing mobile by Alexander Calder, along with new work by Mary Corse, Adrian Ghenie, Matthew Day Jackson and many more.
Running concurrent to Pace’s presentation at Frieze is a new Calder exhibition at its LA outpost that is specially selected and installed by legendary contemporary artist, Richard Tuttle. The latter exhibition will be on view until February 25, while fairgoers can find Pace at booth D8.
Xavier Hufkens, Booth A11
Courtesy Of The Artist And Xavier Hufkens
Fresh off a solo exhibition by Sir Antony Gormley and an ongoing show by Nicolas Party, Belgian art dealer Xavier Hufkens presents a number of paintings, sculptures and installations from its esteemed lineup. Joe Bradley, who recently had his own solo show with the gallery in Belgium, will showcase a large vibrant painting, Chain Gang (2020-2022), while Walter Swennen, Tracey Emin and McArthur Binion will also have abstracted works on display.
Sculpture will also be a point of emphasis for the gallery, as totemic works by Huma Bhabha, Lynda Benglis and Thomas Houseago make an appearance. Additional highlights include photos by Robert Mapplethorpe, a paper-based study by Louise Bourgeois and a rhythmic four-panel painting by Sherrie Levine.
Sow & Tailor, Focus, Booth F15
Courtesy Of The Artist And Sow & Tailor
Sow & Tailor is an emerging DTLA-based gallery that was launched with community-building and diversity at the core of its programming. Founded by Karen Galloway in 2021, the Black-owned space is celebrating its first Frieze booth, which will play host to a solo show entitled Where I Go to Sin and Cry by Veronica Fernandez. Born in New Jersey and now based in LA, Fernandez confronts personal traumas and memory in her gestural paintings and installations that often teeter between reality and fiction, dreams and nightmares.
While the works and the underlying stories can appear grim, almost as if these various figures and symbols float in a state of purgatory, Fernandez maintains the notion that hope can always emerge from oppressive worlds. Catch Where I Go to Sin and Cry at booth F15 at the Focus section. For those downtown, be sure to check out a new solo exhibition at Sow & Tailor by Kayla Witt.
Chase Hall at David Kordansky Gallery, Focus, Booth B1
Courtesy Of The Artist And David Kordansky Gallery
Fellow LA gallery, David Kordansky, will also present a solo exhibition of work by Chase Hall. Vividly gestural, the Minnesota-born artist paints subjects and scenes that comment on generational traumas and celebrations across American history. In the past, this approach has translated into special pigments the artist harnessed through coffee beans, harking to centuries-old geopolitical systems tied to the commodification of the coffee plant all across Africa.
Having recently showcased his first museum solo exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia, Hall is following up with his latest paintings at David Kordansky, located at booth B1.
Hauser & Wirth, Focus, Booth D1
Courtesy Of The Artist And Sow & Tailor
Hauser & Wirth‘s booth has been described by the gallery as its ongoing “commitment and love affair” with the City of Angels that dates back over 30 years. To complement its iconic space at a reconverted flour mill in the Arts District, Hauser & Wirth will welcome a second LA location in West Hollywood, which will be housed at an old car showroom and open this Wednesday with a solo exhibition by George Condo.
As for the gallery’s Frieze presentation, expect to see monumental works by Light and Space master, Larry Bell, an eclectic sofa installation by Jason Rhoades, figurative paintings by Henry Taylor, a floral video-based work by Diana Thater and paper-based studies by Mike Kelley and Paul McCarthy, amongst others. Please visit the gallery’s website for a full list of artworks and programming.
Frieze Los Angeles
3026 Airport Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90405
