Frieze Los Angeles returned this past weekend, and in just its second year, the contemporary art fair spinoff of London and NYC has exploded into a full slate of lavish parties, expansive cultural programming, film screenings, celebrity engagement, music concerts, book releases, current affairs talks, political panels, fashion presentations, design gallery openings, off-sites, upstarts and hundreds of exclusive events reaching almost every corner of the city. Without a doubt, Frieze has brought a fresh jolt of creative energy to LA, and it’s clear the city is embracing a new forward-looking cultural role.

“My hope was that a successful fair could be leveraged to extend its energy throughout the city,” enthuses Executive Fair Director Bettina Korek. “Thanks to the tremendous support we’ve received from the city’s incomparable community of museums, galleries, and artist-run spaces, Frieze has taken root as an annual moment for visitors and locals alike to discover art in LA.”

The core of the fair took over Paramount Studios for four days of consecutive sold out crowds, with art aficionados mixing with the famous likes of J-Lo, Charlize Theron, Leo DiCaprio, even Miley Cyrus. Over seventy galleries from more countries than we could count offered the sort of expertly curated peek into the global art zeitgeist usually associated with. say, NYC, Berlin and, of course, Basel.

Watch this space—Frieze LA is only going to get bigger.

“I hope this moment continues to grow,” says Korek, “and that LA’s many art worlds will continue to grow with it in symbiosis.” 

For all the hobnobbing and people watching, for us, it was still all about the art. And here were our fifteen faves from Frieze LA 2.0.

 

Barbara Kruger, Who Buys The Con? (Questions)

Mural at NeueHouse, Los Angeles

 

Photo: Fredrik Nilsen

 

Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Frieze Los Angeles

 

Photo by Casey Kelbaugh

 

 

Louis Vuitton, Objet Nomades

Off-Site at Milk Studios 

 

Photo by Brad Dickson 

 

William Eggleston, Untitled, 1973 

David Zwirner Gallery, Frieze Los Angeles 

 

©Eggleston Artistic Trust/Courtesy Eggleston Artistic Trust and David Zwirner

 

Sadie Coles HQ, London

Frieze Los Angeles

 

Photo by Casey Kelbaugh

 

‘Interior Motives’ 

Short Film by Natalie Shirinian Screening at NeueHouse for NHxFrieze

 

Film still of Michele Lamy (Rick Owens), courtesy of NES Films

 

Conversations on Patronage: Re-Imagining the Community through the Arts Presented by Destination Crenshaw 

 

Photo by Casey Kelbaugh

 

Commonwealth & Council

Frieze Los Angeles

 

Photo by Casey Kelbaugh

 

‘Always I Trust’ (2014) Screening of Film by Cheng Ran 

Frieze Projects, Paramount Theater

 

Film Still, courtesy of the artist

 

“How We Got Here,” art discussion panel with artists Arcmanoro Niles, Jordan Nassar and Naama Tsabar, moderated by Arthur Lewis, Creative Director of UTA Fine Arts hosted by Artsy and UTA Artist Space

The West Hollywood EDITION

 

Image courtesy of UTA Artist Space

 

FRIEZE MUSIC – BMW presented performances, co-curated by Kevin McGarry and Hans Ulrich Obrist, including: Moses Sumney, Caroline Polachek, Zsela and DJ Uwuqi 

Neuehouse LA

 

Photo by Lucy Sandler

 

Patrisse Cullors‘s Fuck White Supremacy (2020) Interactive Dance

Paramount Studios NYC Backlot

 

Photo by Casey Kelbaugh

 

Barbara Kasten’s Intervention

Frieze Projects

 

Photo by Casey Kelbaugh

 

Lucio Fontana Walking The Space: Spatial Environments, 1948 – 1968 

Hauser & Wirth DTLA

 

Ambiante Spizale con Neon, photographed by Fredrik Nilsen. Courtesy Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milano and Hauser & Wirth.

 

DIALOGO: The California-Mexico Design and Architecture Dialogue, Curated by Monica Calderon, Adam Blackman and David Cruz with Book Release for Mexico City Architects Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappinat at Blackman Cruz. 

 

Works by Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin, Image Courtesy of Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin for Blackman Cruz.