This spring, Los Angeles offers a diverse array of exhibitions focusing on both retrospectives of renowned local artists and group displays that delve into the relationship between material, spirituality, and community. The Museum of Contemporary Art presents a showcase of pivotal conceptual artist Michael Asher, known for his transient works that reveal hidden networks of influence. In Orange County, a Steve Roden exhibition highlights the interplay of maps, scores, and symbols in his paper works that challenge our perceptions. Concurrently, group exhibitions at the Armory and the Hammer Museum spotlight contemporary artists who emphasize the bonds between ecology, ritual, and tradition.
The Getty Museum examines the Black Arts Movement through the medium of photography, while a comprehensive exhibition at the Riverside Art Museum and the Cheech features over 50 photographers who have played a crucial role in reflecting, shaping, and establishing Chicanx identity since the 1960s. ‘What a Wonderful World’ at the Variety Arts Theater, located at 940 South Figueroa Street in Downtown LA, from February 6 to March 20, transforms the venue into an ‘audiovisual poem’ spanning 120 years of film-based media. Organized by the Berlin-based Julia Stoschek Foundation and curated by Udo Kittelmann, the event takes over the entire six-story historic structure, including the theater, balconies, staircases, a basement, and a ballroom.
Featured works range from classic films by Luis Buñuel, Walt Disney, and Georges Méliès to contemporary pieces by Marina Abramović, Arthur Jafa, Chris Burden, Maya Deren, Ulysses Jenkins, Paul McCarthy, Ana Mendieta, and others, illustrating the medium’s evolution from entertainment to artistic expression. Admission and popcorn are complimentary. At Hauser & Wirth in West Hollywood, the ‘Arshile Gorky: Horizon West’ exhibition, running from February 21 to April 25, spotlights the Armenian-American artist’s significant contributions to modernism and his influence on Abstract Expressionism. The exhibit juxtaposes Gorky’s landscapes from before and after a transformative journey from New York to Los Angeles he took in 1941, offering insights into a lesser-explored facet of his work.
Meanwhile, ‘Steven Arnold: Cocktails in Heaven’ at Del Vaz Projects in Santa Monica, from February 25 to April 25, celebrates the work of the influential multidisciplinary artist known for his vibrant contributions to film, theater, painting, assemblage, and photography. Arnold, a central figure in California’s queer counterculture, is commemorated through a recreation of his lively studio, Zanzabar, displaying photographs, costumes, posters, sculptures, furniture, and other memorabilia. The exhibition will feature a series of events and programs honoring Arnold’s legacy, culminating in a symposium on queer aesthetics and spirituality on April 25.
