For Frieze LA, Smith has diverged from past STP projects, presenting a solo show of his own work, all of which speaks to an unavoidably topical theme: digitization. The opening beheld seemingly opposing themes, which drew even more talkative attention to the topic at hand. The show is set at the Melet Mercantile space in DTLA, a large, warm space which was strewn with familiar faces for its opening—friends, and fans of Smith casually milling around eating the vegan “Popeye’s” chicken sandwiches that were being made on-site in the gallery space. It felt intimate, communal, with a long table down the center to sit, snack, and speak to one another. The energy echoes Smith’s idea for STP, which he mentioned to me at said table, of “Heading somewhere else, outside of a city, and just starting a [STP] community up right there. Decentralizing the creative hubs of the country from the coastal cities.”
Though this show was in LA, it looks like he’s on his way there. Despite the thirty events held the opening night, many of which were far across town, Fear Eats the Soil drew a strong crowd, speckled with major art figures, yet felt completely unpretentious.
Below, read more of my conversations with Smith, during the process leading up to the show. Fear Eats the Soil is on view through the 17th at Melet Mercantile.