LOS ANGELES — The LA Art Show returns for its 31st year at the downtown Convention Center, preceding the arrival of Frieze, Felix, and Post-Fair by over a month. Despite being LA’s longest-standing art fair, it is often perceived as mainstream and not aligned with the avant-garde of the global art scene. Nevertheless, curator Marisa Caichiolo’s projects at the back of the expansive exhibition hall highlight the fair’s cultural and political importance.
Caichiolo introduced the first Latin American Pavilion, comprising three booths: Artier Gallery from Palm Springs, Verse Gallery from Ft. Lauderdale, and Building Bridges Art Exchange, a nonprofit she established in 2005. The pavilion also showcases selections from the Pangue International Video Art Festival, featuring video art by 20 contemporary artists from countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Peru.
“They’re artists that people here may not know, but they’re so powerful in their own communities,” Caichiolo shared with Hyperallergic. Although the fair has a broad international focus, especially on Asia, Caichiolo aims to enhance Latin American representation through this inaugural pavilion and future editions.
Artier Gallery’s booth entrance is adorned with Natasha Grey’s linen pastel and charcoal drawing “Mutable Sun” (2025), portraying a jaguar and the Maya moon goddess Ixchel. Flanking the entrance are Carlos Luna James’s vibrant masks from Ciudad Juárez. Colombian artist Dario Ortiz presents traditional stories with a modern twist through his detailed paintings of mythological figures as contemporary border crossers.
Additionally, Caichiolo curated DIVERSEartLA, the fair’s non-commercial segment, which this year revolves around biennials. She enlisted several curators to present works from biennials such as those in Casablanca, Gwangju, and Miami. A focal point is a mini-retrospective on artist Marcos Ramírez, known as ERRE, curated by Alma Ruiz. Operating between Tijuana and San Diego, ERRE’s art tackles themes of Latine identity, immigration, and nationalism, exemplified by his installation “187 Pairs of Hands” and its commentary on California Proposition 187.
This year’s fair also includes over 90 international exhibitors, showcasing works ranging from Picasso prints at Epicentrum Gallery to Spanish artist Mersuka Dopazo’s collages at London’s Rebecca Hossack Gallery. While some may consider the LA Art Show less trendy compared to upcoming fairs, its diverse offerings make it a worthwhile visit.
