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Felix LA Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel February 14-17
This new fair, founded by collector Dean Valentine and dealers Al and Mills Morán, was inspired by a group of gallerists’ nostalgia for the mid-1990s Gramercy International Art Fair, which was held, briefly, in LA’s Chateau Marmont (the 1998 fair included a Camel smoking lounge, with free Camel-branded T-shirts and screen savers). This newcomer — named after Felix the Cat and the 19th-century art critic Félix Fénéon — will be held in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, across its suites and public areas, promising to give attendees intimate access to galleries. Valentine promises that reasonable rates mean that galleries of all sizes will be able to participate, and access to the fair and the hotel’s pool — whose floor was decorated by David Hockney — will be free for visitors.
ALAC Barker Hangar, Santa Monica February 13-17
Art Los Angeles Contemporary is described by director Tim Fleming as “a cultural happening rather than a strictly commercial event”, and takes place in the vast 40,000 sq ft Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. This year’s event will feature 65 exhibitors including emerging and established galleries with a focus on the local area — 24 of the exhibitors are from Los Angeles — and a new publishing section overseen by curator Frances Horn. Panel discussions, film screenings and performances will take place alongside the fair, as well as an auction in aid of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation, a charity that supports both cancer patients and emerging artists.
Desert X Coachella Valley Feb 9-April 21
Perhaps a slightly more refined event than the valley’s eponymous music festival, Desert X will feature site-specific installations aiming to “embrace a range of ecological, environmental and social issues that have been driving conversations about our role in the anthropocene”. This is the second Desert X — the inaugural event in 2017 included Doug Aitken’s spectacular mirrored house, “Mirage”, and drew 200,000 visitors over its duration. This year’s will include works by 15 artists, including Jenny Holzer and Mary Kelly, while bus tours will be available around the 45-mile site from the festival hub at the Palm Springs Ace Hotel.
Superfine! LA 1933 S Broadway, Los Angeles February 14-17
Superfine’s stable of art fairs across the US — and now in LA for the first time — aims at accessibility and transparency, with 90 per cent of the art works available priced below $5,000. Founders Alex Mitow and James Miille object to the phrase “price upon request”, and payment plans are available. The fair launched in Miami and New York in 2015, and exhibitors are exclusively smaller and emerging galleries with a strong female and LGBTQ contingent. Special project “This is America!” looks at identity and politics, Pansy Ass Ceramics curates “an amorous journey into camp”, while Matt Sheridan — who worked on the MTV series Daria — hosts an audio-visual installation.
stARTup The Kinney Venice Beach hotel February 15-17
Also focusing on emerging and mid-career artists is stARTup, which will take place in the Kinney hotel in Venice Beach. More than 60 artists, selected by a jury, are each given a hotel room to transform into an exhibition space. Founded by artist Ray Beldner, the fair’s mission is not just to make sales, but to connect “undervalued” artists to collectors. This year’s fair will feature artists from the ECF Art Center, which helps artists with developmental disabilities.
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