Frieze et al.
The excitement surrounding the arrival of Frieze in Los Angeles was palpable from across the pond. Speaking from my own experience living in Basel, people were curious about how the show would further animate the L.A. art scene and fit into the existing fair landscape. From the get go, the usual fair organizers’ fear that the tent would be overcrowded was blown a little out of proportion. Or perhaps they just did a good job at controlling the number of visitors allowed access during the first hours of the fair. Regardless, the fair lacked the frenetic energy often experienced at Art Basel or FIAC. Whether this was a good or bad thing, only gallery sales will tell. Based on gallerists’ readiness to speak to me, I would gauge that it was lukewarm. By the afternoon on opening day, about half the galleries I spoke to had sold about half their booths. Given there were only 70 galleries spread across the three rows, let’s hope these numbers improved as the fair days went on. Some personal highlights include the group of embroidered textiles by Jordan Nassar presented by Anat Ebgi, Kathleen Ryan’s gems fruits at François Ghebaly, an installation of different apartment locks by Do Ho Suh made in his signature translucent fabrics at Lehmann Maupin and Mark A. Rodriguez’s collection of Grateful Dead cassette tapes at Park View / Paul Soto.
But Frieze wasn’t the only one to claim the title of firsts. SPRING/BREAK Art Show and Felix, which also opened in Hollywood the same day as Frieze, also made their debuts. Located at the Roosevelt hotel, where I’ve spent too many days since I could learn to drive, Felix was abuzz opening night. There was even a line for VIPs, who had to wait roughly 45 minutes to get in, regenerating some lost humility. Upon entering, it was totally worth it. The tiny corridor and small hotel rooms could only accommodate so many before it felt like the SPRING/BREAK Art Show during its St. Patrick's Old School days. Felix in the end was a delight. The art that galleries brought was fresh, affordable, and engaging. From Andrew Berardini’s curated project drawing in 15 French galleries and commissioned by the CPGA (Comité Professionnel des Galeries d'Art) in the Penthouse, to the 11th floor and the cabanas, the quality was all around top-notch. Not to mention the delicious tacos Steve Arroyo of Escuela Taqueria was cooking up in the Tiki bar. Personal highlights include Daniel Boccato at M+B, Jagdeep Raina at Grice Bench, and Woody De Othello at Jessica Silverman.
The SPRING/BREAK Art Show, which opened Friday afternoon in downtown L.A.’s former produce warehouse, ROW DTLA. The location was fantastic. Airy and open, visitors could freely wander from “booth” to “booth.” What was slightly confusing though was the stalls were divided into two, a front space and back space, both independent of one another. This wasn’t always clear but in the end, it may have worked out. The art itself was hit or miss, and art school vibes were strong. But some work did stand on its own, including those presented by Tin Flats and Hilde. Two paintings in particular stuck out to me, one by Jake Kean Mayman curated by Desert Center and another by Scott Laufer at 0-0 LA.
Finally, there was ALAC. The first of the contemporary art fairs to open in Los Angeles drew the least amount of attention. Compared to the production quality of Frieze or the unique locations of Felix and SPRING/BREAK, ALAC felt stagnant and stale. The lights and the walls didn’t do the art justice. Some of my favorite presentations included paintings by Keiran Brennan Hinton at 1969 Gallery and Pauli Ochi’s booth with new paintings by Adam Beris juxtaposed to Ben Sander’s colorful pots. With the emergence of three new fairs and the continued expansion of the gallery scene, L.A. won’t be slowing down its art game anytime soon.