Coinciding with Frieze LA 2022

MAKE ROOM LA - "Fata Morgana" - Jacopo Pagin

Marking his first solo show in the U.S, Jacopo Pagin invites audiences into the phenomenon that is Fata Morgana, an Italian folklore rooted in the Arthurian character of Morgan le Fay. Running February 15 through March 12, MAKE ROOM LA presents "Fata Morgana," an exhibition investigating the mythology known for luring bystanders out to sea through mirages— explained by many as optical illusions. Although these stories varied among cultures, they spread throughout Europe, "It's positioned between the end of Paganism and the beginning of Christianity, but it collects mythology from Greek culture and Nordic culture," Pagin explains.

An Italian adaptation, "Fata Morgana," combines fairy with destiny or fate, speaking directly to the mutating mythology. Interested in how histories tie together and various interpretations, Pagin has arrived where he unapologetically understands his perspective and the narratives he wants to tell. Dealing with subjects of womanhood and references of multiple cultures, the mutlimedia artist finds points of entry, hyperaware of his identity and his association to the world.

Including an abstract self-portrait depicting Murano glass, an object close to the artist, Pagin states, "I use Murano glasses as a kind of door as a kind of amulet as a kind of a pendulum to try and make people enter these new realities. I'm trying to manifest states and so often to enter this reality." Informed by history and curiosities, Pagin creates vast worlds on canvases, formulating thoughts with paint.

Prada Mode Los Angeles - "helLA World" - Martine Syms

Arriving in Los Angeles at Genghis Cohan, Prada Mode has transformed the space to accommodate "HelLA World," an installation by Martine Syms speaking to the multiplicity within exchanges. This immersive project combines text and video elements, meditating on guests' interactions, and is featured on monitors throughout the venue. In addition, this multi-layered installation invites attendees to partake in conversation through submitted messages, occupying the inside of the beloved Chinese restaurant.

Showcased on February 16 and 17, Prada Mode and taken their nomadic social club, centered on curation, to Los Angeles in partnership with Dominica Publishing, Syms' company, creating an event with panels including "Time," director Garrett Bradley, filmmaker Daisy Zhou, Martine Syms, among others. To close out each day, Genghis Cohan turned into a club with music performances by Junglepussy, Sudan Archives, and DJs including Vegyn, Bae Bae, and more.

Real time cinema.

Sow & Tailor - "House Hold" - Tidawhitney Lek

On view at Sow & Tailor, a South LA gallery creating space for diverse artists, "House Hold" is Tidawhitney Lek's first solo exhibition connecting familial narratives impacted by generational trauma. The Long Beach-based artist explores her identity, mastering a craft that is a conduit for her thoughts. "I'm a first-generation American on top of that. My parents immigrated from Cambodia, they left during the end of the Khmer Rouge, so they actually lived through it. It brought back a lot of stuff and folded into the next generation. I feel like I have a story that a big part of America shares, you know, but in terms of Asian identity, ours was actually kept quiet because of the horrors that nobody really talked about it. I had to like dig. And it was only until the last four years where I found the courage to really investigate the issue; that's what I was realizing. It didn't just belong to me; it actually belonged to an entire country. That generation, even the generation after, so I mean, I live in a Cambodian community, and you can see in the community that there's something that happened amongst us. The generational trauma that the next generation inherited, we all have a similar kind of anxiety or a fear," Lek explains.

Running from February 13 - March 20, 2022, "House Hold" examines the culture of immigrant life and inherited traditions. Through meticulous detail, Lek embellishes each piece with symbolic hands of women, representations of hard work embedded in anxieties.

We need to survive, but we don't make room to live.

SIZED - "VESSELS"

With an opening in time for their latest exhibition, "VESSELS," SIZED.STUDIO finds a new home in Hollywood in an expansive two-story space perfect for any artistic accommodation. Creative Director, Alexander May, has built a career creating experiences that explore the world's wonders, situated at the intersection of art and culture. His latest curation marvels at form— with abilities of holding matter, it includes works from over 200 artists, with a site-specific Ikebana installation. Running February 16 through 27, 2022, "VESSELS" unites various interpretations, producing a spectacle best seen in person.

The wide-ranging roster of artists includes Berlin-based sculptor Lukas Stoever, Mexico City-based artist Rio Estudio, the multitalented Rick Owens, LA-based sculptor Leena Similu, and a site-specific drilled crater by Fai Khadra, among others.

"Everyday Rituals" - Tiwa Select X FARAGO

Located on the historic Broadway street in Downtown Los Angeles, Alex Tieghi-Walker of Tiwa Select and Max Farago of FARAGO have co-curated a show including works by artists who create in the margins. Each artist speaks to a narrative of cultural understanding and self-awareness with developed crafts varying in discipline. "Everyday Rituals" aims to celebrate unique perspectives that have strayed away from structured art spaces.

Work that stems from personal journeys, some survival, some spiritual, and others utilitarian, this exhibit exemplifies the vastness that exists outside of the conventional. Both Farago and Tieghi-Walker have united to blend their artistic approaches and outlooks to honor artists who have never received recognition through the means of a traditional gallery experience. Running from February 17 through the 22, the participating artists are Jim McDowell, Andrée Singer Thompson, Noel Guzmán Bofill Rojas, Louis Mueller, Mary Ann Pettway, Sandú Darié, and Michael Lindsay- Hogg.

SALON at Radius House - "Ambivalent Traces" - Johnny Le

Radius House in Los Angeles was home to "Salon," a group exhibition curated by Noemi Polo in partnership with her Los Angeles creative studio Amor Corp. Running until February 20, 2020, "Salon" presented a multi-layered curation connecting over 50 participants under the contemporary roof. Among the modern layout were rooms adorned with art in various forms. From a lacquered chair by multi-talent Mowalola to an ikebana installation by florist Taylor Durie, "Salon" offered a visual menu for any artistic appetite.

Situated in the thoughtfully designed space stood Johnny Le's installation, "Ambivalent Traces," an exploration of time and interrelatedness that has come under question during this context of uncertainty. Through a 35mm camera, Le captured moments resting in the past and present, forming a non-linear narrative. An installation embellished by curiosities, Le continues to revel in humanistic sensibilities, weaving a thread through people, spaces, and deep emotion.

The Little House - "Tales from an Urban Garden" - Raqib Shaw

Showcasing Raqib Shaw’s “Tales from an Urban Garden,” Dries Van Noten and Jeffrey Deitch, in collaboration with White Cube, have come together to present this offering at The Little House. Running February 16 through March 26, “Tales from an Urban Garden” relishes Shaw’s life, isolating moments of his mother’s garden in Kashmir.

Born in Calcutta, India, and based in London, Shaw utilizes sculpture work and painting, telling stories that rest at the forefront of his mind. Enveloped in exquisite detail, Shaw draws on musical and literary influences, creating dynamic works twisting artistic understanding. Mirroring his beginnings, the multi-disciplinary artist occupied his studios’ adjacent parking lot, manifesting remembrances that live on through his craft.

A world in miniature that could be magnified on canvas... a perfect theatre setting for my paintings where my life is re-enacted and recorded.

Art

Pamela Sneed’s Speaking Tongue opens at Dashwood Projects

November 15, 2024

Pamela Sneed’s latest exhibition, Speaking Tongue, will be on view at Dashwood Projects from November 20 to December 21. The show features twenty watercolor and ink paintings inspired by her recent trip to Kenya, where she was deeply moved by the elegance of giraffes, the landscapes, and the energy of Nairobi.

Blending her background as a poet and visual artist, Sneed’s work reflects on themes of identity, nature, and connection. Her paintings capture the beauty and spirit of the animals she encountered, alongside reflections on her own experiences as part of the African diaspora.

This exhibition marks Sneed’s first solo show with Dashwood Projects and will be accompanied by a new book, also titled Speaking Tongue, to be released in December.

By Enzo Holdt
Artworks by Pamela Sneed

Art

Tiebreaker - Alvin Armstrong

November 15, 2024

There is a moment of silence right before the play. Just before the racket strikes the ball as it hangs weightless in the air, breathless and charged. It’s the fleeting yet decisive instant that can alter the course of the match, determining who wins and who loses.

Alvin Armstrong depicts this crucial moment in his new exhibition Tiebreaker, symbolizing the risks and rewards of competition. It’s an implication of something else at stake, where athletes push not only their bodies, but their spirits to the absolute limit.

The dynamic figures embody the strength, grace, and agility juxtaposed by the vibrant color palette evoking not just the joy of competition but the charged energy of the court.

Tiebreaker is opening Thursday, November 16th at Anna Zorina Gallery.

By Rea Brayshaw
Artworks by Alvin Armstrong

Art

The Things People Are Ashamed To Take Photos Of: The Photography and Films of Yuhan Cheng

Yuhan’s latest exhibition of photo and video work titled 窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里 takes its namesake from what could’ve been a mundane encounter. A month after moving to New York City from Chengdu, China, they stumbled across an abandoned fish tank left curbside. It reminded them of “the rotating fish in a tank that faded into the background of their mother’s home in Chengdu”, a thread connecting childhood familiarity that transformed into a symbol of greater significance in adulthood. A tank is a world within a world; a microcosm secluded from the broader chaos of the outside. Since then Yuhan has captured the other kinds of “fish tanks” closest to them in their photography and short films. Not literal ones necessarily– but intimate confined spaces in Chengdu and NYC where time stands still.

In the midst of taking snapshots of loved ones, Yuhan decided to turn their tender but examining lens on themselves. They realized shooting self-portraits unraveled a deeper understanding of their own nonbinary gender and queer sexuality. Yuhan admits in one of their short films “I hide from looking at my own body.” Yet, in the seclusion of their room which doubles as a dark room, Yuhan began to develop their first nude photos chronicling the subtle wounds; bitten cuticles, bruises, and scrapes they’ve accumulated involuntarily, once again documenting the things people choose to hide.

窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里, debuted at FAR-NEAR Studio Hours a gallery in Chinatown focused on expanding the art world's view of Asia and Asian artists curated by Lulu Yao Gioiello. The event merged Yuhan’s works from the past three years, including 70 photographs, three short documentaries, and one installation. There was something uncanny about the gallery’s atmosphere – from the dollar store teal green curtains obscuring every window to the clusters of framed photos mimicking how photos of relatives are displayed in one’s childhood home, to the darkened lighting that was both disorienting and cozy. All these details were meticulously chosen to imitate the rooms depicted in Yuhan’s films and photography. In other words, the audience was invited to Yuhan’s “fishtank”, to share the odd balance of comfort and unease of being known intimately. We talked to Yuhan at Cafe Reggio to understand how their latest body of work came into being.

Initially, I was exploring my friends’ identities through the lens, but slowly, it became a tool to confront and understand my own queerness and gender identity.

Ora Margolis— Were any memories/childhood experiences you had in Chengdu important to how you've developed as an artist?

Yuhan Cheng— Growing up in Chengdu, especially in a military household, shaped and gave me a source of contention how I understood my identity. There was always a sense of conflict when it came to my body and feeling like I didn’t quite fit the expectations around me. This tension has been a driving force in my practice, pushing me to explore identity and belonging in my work.

Tell us a bit about your latest exhibition Outside the Window, Inside the Tank at Far. What headspace were you in when taking these photos?

YC— Outside the Window, Inside the Tank is about the fluidity of self; our bodies, our environments, and our identities. The idea of water as both a symbol of confinement and freedom is central to the photos and film that comprise the exhibit. This fluidity much like how I see my experience moving between Chengdu and New York, where similar feelings follow me no matter where I am. Water mirrors the body, the frame, and the room, which are all containers of the self.

Previously, you’ve said you wanted the exhibition space to look "like your room". How did you make that happen and why is your NYC room important to you?

YC— My room in NYC is an extension of my identity. It’s where I feel vulnerable and where I explore myself most openly. It’s a manifestation of my sense of self. I recreated certain elements in the exhibition—the green sheer curtains, the dollar store shower curtain with bubbles, and the center installation depicted a self-portrait deteriorating in water, reminiscent of a fish in a tank. This room, like any other room or container, magnifies the tension of self-exploration.

Has your idea or comfort with your gender identity and /sexuality changed since you’ve delved into photography?

YC— Yes. The process of photography and filming has been a mirror to my own understanding of self. Initially, I was exploring my friends’ identities through the lens, but slowly, it became a tool to confront and understand my own queerness and gender identity. The process of photographing my queer friends and then myself allowed me to come to terms with who I am.

How did you and Lulu Yao of FAR-NEAR Studio meet, and what makes her a good collaborator?

YC— We first connected when I reached out with my series Princess of Funan River. Lulu understood the struggles and complexities in the work and she invited me to expand on those ideas with her. Our collaboration has worked because Lulu truly resonates with the themes I’m drawn to, like fluidity, transformation, and the intimacy of navigating belonging.

After completing Fish Tank and Remnants of an Amateur Film, what kind of movie do you want to make next?

YC— Right now, I’m more focused on writing. I need to understand what I want to say before making another film. Writing helps me find clarity;it’s a crucial part of my process.

What kind of camera do you use and why?

YC— I use a Canon AE-1. I started with it and I still love it. It's small, spontaneous, easy to use, and light. It allows me to capture moments naturally without overthinking.

What's your biggest fear?

YC— Being disconnected from my sense of self, from others, and from the things I love.

When do you feel most like yourself?

YC— It’s during those fleeting moments when I complete a project. That feeling fades quickly, leaving me searching for the next project to reconnect with that sense of fulfillment.

How do you want people to feel when they interact with your art?

YC— I want them to feel whatever resonates with them. I don’t want to prescribe the experience; it should feel right for each person.

Your work focuses on the close knit communities that surround you or various metaphorical “fish tanks”. What communities do you feel closest to?
YC— The queer artist community, both in Chengdu and NYC, has been a source of comfort and understanding for me. There’s something about shared struggles and shared creative language that feels like home.

What's the biggest difference between living life as a queer artist in NYC and in Chengdu?

YC— In both NYC and Chengdu, I’m learning more about myself. NYC offers a sense of freedom, while Chengdu is home, a place of comfort and history. Neither place defines me but both are significant parts of my path.

What are your next moves/goals?

YC— I want to continue exploring both film and photography, expanding my narrative style and experimenting across mediums. During my show, I found new ways of seeing my photographs such as by adding a window screen between frames or letting a self-portrait fade and grow mold in water. These approaches allowed me to see my work not just as 2D images but as 3D objects.

I want to keep pushing the boundaries of how photo and film can interact, and I’m also interested in trying photojournalism. My focus remains on collaborating across mediums and continuing to accumulate experiences that I can translate into sincere honest work.