If you’re in Los Angeles this month, take time to visit these must-see shows at spaces like the Marciano Art Foundation, The Mistake Room, and Shulamit Nazarian.
“Where The Sea Remembers”
The Mistake Room
Now—October 12
The first chapter in a new initiative to create opportunities for emerging Vietnamese artists, The Mistake Room’s “Where The Sea Remembers” presents an exploration of contemporary Vietnamese art through an interdisciplinary project including programming, an exhibition, and a website. Featuring the works of names like Trong Gia Nguyen, Võ Trân Châu, and The Propeller Group, the show draws inspiration from Trinh Công Son’s song Where the Sea Remembers, as well as ongoing interactions with the gallery’s Vietnamese artistic friends and acquaintances, who influenced the exhibition’s reimagined format.
Donna Huanca: OBSIDIAN LADDER
Marciano Art Foundation
Now—December 1
Donna Huanca’s first large-scale solo exhibition in the U.S., Marciano Art Foundation (MAF) presents “OBSIDIAN LADDER” in its cavernous 13,000 square foot Theater Gallery. The site-specific installation presents a blue landscape of carved steel sculptures and skin paintings that combines scent, sound, and performance, centered around a topography built to trigger the senses. The exhibition will be accompanied by a live model performance every Saturday for its duration, as well as a series of public programming—including talks and presentations by Faith Wilding, Cheri Gaulke, and the artist.
Serpentine Pavilion
Second Home at La Brea Tar Pits
Now—November 24
Just before its first U.S. space is due to open in September, creative agency Second Home has teamed up with the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County to present Serpentine Gallery’s 2015 pavilion design at the La Brea Tar Pits. The pavilion, designed by Madrid-based selgascano, remains true to the studio’s playful reputation, featuring a translucent membrane effect reminiscent of a colorful chrysalis, which can only be entered by passing through a secret entryway between layers of the structure. This is the first time a Serpentine Pavilion has been shown in the United States, and the 866 square foot structure will act as a meeting place for free public programming including film screenings, talks, and events supporting nonprofits and social impact organizations.
“Roommates”
Shulamit Nazarian
July 20—August 31
In Shulamit Nazarian’s exhibition “Roommates,” artists Chris Bogia, Woody De Othello, Rachel Granofsky, and Michael Stamm treat the domestic space as a psychological (and sometimes even psychedelic) realm, drawing from elements that represent a sense of home. Objects begin to take on a life of their own as the artists delve into the oddities of humans and our relationships with possessions. Included are pieces like De Othello’s ceramic sculptures, which treat household objects as an intimate presence used to alter physical states, Granofsky’s photographic works like Ghost Sex (depicting a human-like figure made of a mop, balloon, painted sweatshirt, and jeans), and more.
Amoako Boafo: The Sitters
The Cabin LA
Now—July 27
A small alternative exhibition space open by appointment only, The Cabin is now showing a presentation of new paintings by Amoako Boafo, called“The Sitters.” Born in Ghana and based out of Vienna, the artist employs a mixture of oil and acrylic paints and the occasional collage element, producing works relating to social commitment that incorporate his own experiences. The works on view each feature a portrait of a seated person, imagined in Boafo’s unique style, which paints the subject’s visible skin in varied and gestural brush strokes, while the clothing and background surrounding them remain matte and in solid tones.
