What I'd Actually Buy at LA Art Week
The previews are out. I’ve done the work. Here’s what’s worth it.
The first time I went to Frieze three years ago, I spent so much time in front of this piece I lost track of time. I kept walking away and coming back - like the person across the bar you can't stop catching glimpses of. I was in love. That’s what a great art fair can do.
Magic at Frieze LA
Frieze LA, an international art fair now in its fourth year in Los Angeles, brought out Hollywood stars, collectors, and art lovers alike. As a first-time attendee, the influx of art at every corner was delightful and overwhelming. I listened in on conversations between gallery owners and buyers about the expected return of rising artists and the treasu…
Art fairs are fun and funny. There is a lot of excitement, intrigue, and the best people watching. In LA, Art Week is next week led by Frieze, which is an international contemporary art fair held in London, New York, and Seoul. It is an incredible snapshot of the global art world where you can see museums-level art to emerging galleries highlighted in the Frieze Focus section.
Frieze is big enough that it pulls in other art fairs that focus on emerging to mid-career artists, lower budgets, and different vibes. In LA next week, there is also Felix, Post-Fair, Butter, Enzo, and The Other Art Fair. Frieze is the big tent. But for collecting, the kind you can actually live with, not just admire or stow away, Felix and Post-Fair are where I’d start.
So I’ve spent this week going through gallery previews (at time of publishing, around 50) to get a pulse on what’s coming and more importantly, what actually made me feel something, and why.
Almost every work was one that immediately caught my eye and then stayed with me after a deeper look. These are pieces that carry more than they show at first - layers of time, geography, memory, and material. Artists who aren’t performing for the room but building something that will outlast it. And the connective tissue through them is a question about where we come from and what we carry with us — ancestors, cities, histories both personal and collective.
I’ll be seeing all of these in person next week. These are my picks going in, and I stand by them.
At LA Art Week, here’s what I’d actually buy.
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