This year’s edition of L.A. Art Week saw an array of memorable premieres and social highlights across Los Angeles, including Luna Luna’s Neighborhood party, Mickelane Thomas’s book celebration, the Hammer Museum‘s intimate evening with Sanford Biggers, and more.
Frieze Music at the Hammer Museum
Courtesy of Frieze Music.
Last Thursday at the Hammer Museum, Frieze Music, in collaboration with BMW, put together a live performance by local musician Sudan Archives. The event marked another milestone in the longstanding partnership between Frieze and BMW—a collaboration renowned for celebrating the intersection between art and music across global capitals such as London, Los Angeles, and Seoul. The night featured an immersive experience, granting attendees after-hours access to its galleries, complemented by craft cocktails, a DJ set by DJ Jihaari, and a Sudan Archives performance, whose music blends R&B, hip-hop, and experimental electronic music with the fiddling style of West Africa. Through the lens of Sudan Archives‘s groundbreaking music and the backdrop of the Hammer Museum’s artistic sanctum, guests experienced a night that embodied the essence of creativity and cultural synthesis.
Cultural Counsel x Wet Paint‘s Hollywood Party
Photo by Casey Kelbaugh. Courtesy of Cultural Counsel.
Artnet’s Wet Paint columnist Annie Armstrong and Cultural Counsel founder Adam Abdalla hosted a glamorous Frieze Week late-night party at Mars in Hollywood on Thursday, February 29. DJs BJ Panda Bear and Nitefire set the atmosphere of the night with their cosmically tuned sets. The night featured an open bar stationed along the lounge’s outdoor corridor, with drinks provided by BODY vodka. The crimson-red cocktail lounge was abuzz with artists, gallerists, curators, designers, and journalists who had descended on Los Angeles for Frieze. Notable guests included artists Lauren Quin and Jan Gatewood, gallerists Dominique Clayton and Sebastian Gladstone, and many others. Guests spent the night mingling in different corners of the sophisticated indoor-outdoor space ornamented with plush velvet and patent leather sofas, Italian-inspired murals, gold-gilded statement mirrors, and intricate tapestries.
Luna Luna’s Neighborhood Party
Photo by Sinna Nasseri. Courtesy of Luna Luna.
Also last Thursday, Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy threw a party in celebration of the collaborative merchandise capsule “Neighborhood Collection,” which launched during Frieze Week. Featuring pieces like tote bags and t-shirts created in collaboration with local artists Alfonso Gonzalez Jr, Mario Ayala, and Sonya Sombreuil, each item showcased custom moon drawings from each artist—a nod to the 1987 Luna Luna merchandise, which featured moon graphics created by Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, and Kenny Scharf. The festivities of the Neighborhood Party immersed guests with lunar and Dalí-esque elements. Attendees who secured tickets to Luna Luna during this exclusive window enjoyed an atmosphere buzzing with excitement, featuring a thoughtfully curated DJ lineup including Mia Carucci and Baebae, handpicked by the collaborating artists themselves.
Mickalene Thomas is “All About Love“
Mickalene Thomas in conversation with The Broad Curator Ed Schad. Photo by Salvador Ceja Garcia. Courtesy of The Broad.
On Friday, in an anticipation of Mickalene Thomas‘ solo exhibition at The Broad titled “Mickalene Thomas: All About Love,” The Broad orchestrated an exclusive conversation between Thomas and The Broad’s curator Ed Schad at the tommie Hollywood, followed by an intimate dinner at its onsite restaurant Ka’teen. The guest list for the evening included art patrons from around the globe, including Edythe Broad, The Broad Founding Director and President Joanne Heyler, George Wells, Aurora James, Angela Rye, Lena Waithe, and many more. There, guests toasted to the first major international tour dedicated to Mickalene Thomas’ work. The upcoming exhibition—a collaborative effort between the Hayward Gallery, The Broad, and in partnership with the Barnes Foundation—aims to redefine the paradigms of contemporary portraiture and subjectivity, especially related to Black and female identities, through its series of independent presentations.
Sanford Biggers and the Luxury Group Dine at Hammer Museum
Photo by David X Prutting / BFA.com. Courtesy of Hammer Museum.
Sanford Biggers’s monumental cast bronze sculpture, Oracle (2021), was the star of the show at Hammer Museum’s after-hours fête that night, too, hosted by Biggers and Jenni Benzaquen of the Luxury Group by Marriott International. The evening began with a private gallery tour, followed by a cocktail hour alongside Oracle and a lively dinner at Lulu, the museum’s open-air restaurant. An assembly of notable figures graced the occasion, including Hammer Museum Director Annie Philbin, Art Production Fund Executive Director Casey Fremont, Awol Erizku, Gisela McDaniel, and Jahi Sundance.
Jil Sander’s Beverly Hills Boutique Bash
Andrea Amez, Ama Lou. Courtesy of Jil Sander.
Also on Friday, Jil Sander celebrated the opening of their 4,100-square-foot Beverly Hills boutique at the height of Frieze LA. The new boutique, located on South Santa Monica Boulevard, is the Milan-based brand’s fourth store in North America. Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour in the sleek white space, evoking the brand’s characteristic minimalism and elegance, followed by an intimate dinner. Notable guests included composer Ludwig Göransson, musicians Kelsey Lu and Ama Lou, artist Chloe Wise, and many more.
Stone Island’s Celebratory Activations for “Selected Works ‘982-‘024”
Courtesy of Stone Island.
Throughout the week, Stone Island hosted an array of activations at Buttercup Studios in Culver City in commemoration of its inaugural major US archival exhibition, Selected Works ‘982-‘024. The festivities kicked off with an opening reception on February 28, featuring music by DJs Pedro and KITTYSAYWORD and live performances by Navy Blue and Earl Sweatshirt. The cultural programming schedule that ensued through the rest of the week included film screenings, music performances, and two Community Conversations panels featuring appearances by Silvio Rivetti, Andrea Moro, Jeremy Elkin, Clint419, and many others. “Selected Works ‘982-‘024” debuts a collection of unique and never-before-seen items in the United States, including the first comprehensive overview of the Stone Island Shadow Project. Emphasizing the brand’s Lab-Life philosophy, which marries community engagement with its innovative production process, the showcase also features pop-up stores and a café curated by Stone Island’s Los Angeles affiliates.
