Frieze’s Love Letter to LA

The highly anticipated fifth edition of Frieze Los Angeles will once again transform the Santa Monica Airport into a cultural hub. Taking place in the southeast corner of the airfield, the international art fair’s agenda is rooted in a deep appreciation of its home and the communities that nourish it. This year’s expansive program includes visual art installations, partnerships with Los Angeles-based non-profit organizations, and pop-ups from some of LA’s most beloved restaurants. Among the nonprofits contributing to this year’s Frieze Los Angeles are Gallery 90220, an accessible platform for emerging and underrepresented artists, GYOPO, a collective of diasporic Korean arts and culture professionals, Reparations Club, an independently Black-owned concept bookstore and creative space, and the People’s Pottery Project, an organization that empowers formerly incarcerated women, trans and non-binary individuals.

Art Production Fund returns to Frieze Los Angeles for the second time as a curator of “Set Seen,” a new group show that explores the city’s rich history of set design. The exhibition focuses on the time, during World War II, when Hollywood set designers disguised the Santa Monica Airport’s Douglas Aircraft Company factory to build an entire fake suburb. The elaborate illusion, constructed in 1944 and removed a year after the war, was intended to protect the factory, which was producing B-17 Bombers, from enemy attacks by creating the appearance of a quiet residential neighborhood. 

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The exhibition will feature large-scale interactive works by artists Sharif Farrag, Derek Fordjour, Pippa Garner, Matt Johnson, Cynthia Talmadge, and Ryan Flores. Created in 1992, Pippa Garner’s Beauty 2000, on display, is a playful critique of the ever-evolving product-driven scope of the beauty industry. Elsewhere, there is Matt Johnson’s Giant Shell Swan, 2023,  a 10-foot tall bronze sculpture painted in matte white. Johnson’s piece was originally constructed from found seashells and then enlarged to achieve a monumental portrayal of the swan, a symbol of eternal love. Inspired by Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia, Ryan Flores’ four spire-like sculptures further the artist’s exploration of historical still lifes combined with elements of his personal life and heritage.

With the support of the City of Santa Monica, Talmadge and Johnson's works will be on view beyond the fair, until April 7, 2024, furthering the fair's commitment to making art accessible to the public. Through its diverse programming and inclusive approach, Frieze Los Angeles continues to be a vital platform for artistic expression and cultural exchange, enriching the lives of locals and visitors alike.

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“Frieze Los Angeles” runs February 29 – March 3, 2024 at the Santa Monica Airport at 3233 Donald Douglas Loop S, Santa Monica, CA 90405.