Frieze Los Angeles 2024 concluded its fifth edition Sunday evening with resonant success, as galleries reported robust sales and accolades poured in from both domestic and international attendees. The event drew in 32,000 visitors from 48 countries over its four-day run, reaffirming its status as a premier destination for the global art community.
Hosted in a custom structure crafted by Kulapat Yantrasast’s architectural studio WHY, Frieze Los Angeles showcased 95 galleries representing 21 countries. The event also featured collaborations with renowned non-profits, local eateries, and partner activations, enriching the experience for attendees and exhibitors alike.
After an exclusive preview on Thursday, February 29, Frieze Los Angeles unfolded with anticipation and excitement, attracting collectors, industry luminaries, and art enthusiasts from various fields, including entertainment, fashion, and technology. Each day of the fair witnessed substantial market activity and garnered attention from influential figures across diverse sectors.
A highlight of this year’s edition was the partnership between Frieze Los Angeles and the California African American Museum (CAAM), which resulted in the acquisition of Mustafa Ali Clayton’s ceramic sculpture “Natural (2024)”, presented by Dominique Gallery. This collaboration underscored Frieze’s commitment to fostering meaningful connections and supporting cultural initiatives within the community.
Christine Messineo, Director of Americas at Frieze, expressed her satisfaction with the event, stating, “Frieze Los Angeles has once again set new standards for excellence. From a strong preview day to sold-out presentations and notable acquisitions, the fair continues to drive the growth of Los Angeles’ art ecosystem. This year, we prioritised opportunities for institutions and non-profits to expand their collections and outreach, further enhancing the city’s cultural landscape.”
The opening preview day on February 29 witnessed brisk sales to private collectors and notable acquisitions by museums, setting a robust pace for the weekend. Galleries such as Victoria Miro, Gallery Hyundai, and Kaufmann Repetto reported sold-out presentations, while several galleries achieved seven-figure sales, including Gladstone Gallery and Thaddeus Ropac.
Frieze Los Angeles 2024 reaffirmed its position as a pivotal event in the global art calendar, celebrating creativity, diversity, and innovation in the vibrant city of Los Angeles. As the curtains close on another successful edition, anticipation builds for the next chapter in the dynamic journey of Frieze.
Sales Highlights
Sold-out presentations included Victoria Miro who placed all works from their solo booth by Hernan Bas; Gallery Hyundai sold out their presentation of paintings by Kim Sung Yoon; Kaufmann Repetto was another to find success, placing all works in their group presentation featuring Andrea Bowers, Katherine Bradford and Pae White; David Kordansky Gallery placed all works in their solo presentation of Sam McKinniss and Pilar Corrias sold all paintings and works on paper by Sabine Moritz from their booth. In addition, multiple galleries reported sales in the seven-figures including Gladstone Gallery which sold the 2009 drawing Pamuk by Richard Serra for $2 million as well as a painting by Alex Katz for $650,000, a photograph by Carrie Mae Weems for $125,000 and a painting by Aaron Gilbert for $125,000.
Thaddeus Ropac sold multiple works including a charcoal drawing by Robert Longo for $1.6 million and a work by Anselm Kiefer for €1.3 million; Michael Rosenfeld Gallery placed paintings by Beauford Delaney and Norman Lewis each between $1 and $2 million and Marc Selwyn Fine Art sold numerous works from their group presentation including Frank Bowling, Richard Misrach and Lee Bontecou with sales reaching into the seven-figure range. Hauser & Wirth sold works including a painting by Ed Clark for $950,000, Frank Bowling’s 2016 painting Fishes, Wishes in Summertime Blue for $800,000, a three-panel photograph by Charles Gaines for $795,000, a stainless steel sculpture by John Chamberlain for $625,000, a recent painting by Rita Ackermann titled Sandman’s Dust 3 for $425,000, a painting by Firelei Báez for $415,000 and numerous other works between $22,000 and $175,000.
Pace made significant sales, including Loie Hollowell’s 2023 painting Split Orbs in yellow-orange, purple, red and blue for $450,000, an oil painting by Tony Smith for $250,000, a painting by Li Songsong for $138,000, a sculpture by Alicija Kwade for €65,000 and an acrylic painting by Torkwase Dyson for $65,000; Xavier Hufkens made significant sales, including a work on paper by Louise Bourgeois for $350,000, a painting by Cecilia Vicuña for $325,000, a ceramic sculpture by Ken Price for $275,000 and numerous others ranging from $50,000 to $150,000; David Zwirner sold primary market works including a Huma Bhabha sculpture for $650,000, two John McCracken sculptures for between $450,000 and $500,000 each and a painting by Steven Shearer for $480,000 alongside secondary market works by Noah Davis, Raymond Pettibon and Josef Albers and Sprüth Magers made notable sales from their group presentation, including an acrylic on aluminum painting by Anne Imhof for €200,000 and an enamel on steel by Nora Turato for €55,000.
White Cube sold multiple works including a sculpture by Antony Gormley for £500,000, a painting by Lynne Drexler for $150,000, a neon by Tracey Emin for £100,000, and a painting by Sara Flores for $80,000; Lisson Gallery made significant sales, including the 2023 sculpture Mipa 5 Light to Prussian Blue Satin by Anish Kapoor for £675,000, two works by Olga de Amaral for $250,000 each, a painting by Rodney Graham for $120,000, a gouache work by Hélio Oiticica for $120,000 and the 2024 sculpture Cousins by Hugh Hayden for $110,000; Rachel Uffner sold two assemblages by Sheree Hovsepian priced at $28,000 and $35,000 and two sculptures by Curtis Talwst Santiago priced at $25,000 and $32,000; Casey Kaplan reported sales ranging from $300,000 to $450,000 in their solo presentation of new oil paintings by Jordan Casteel; Vielmetter placed a significant nine-panel painting by Whitney Bedford for $300,000 amongst other sales and Ortuzar Projects made a number of sales up to $250,000 from their booth of works by Carlos Almaraz, Joey Terrill and Roberto Gil de Montes. Roberts Projects sold a painting by Amoako Boafo in the range of $300,000 and $400,000 and a work by Suchitra Mattai for $60,000.
Kasmin sold seventeen works by vanessa german priced between $25,000 and $65,000; Anat Ebgi sold hand-embroidered works by Jordan Nassar priced at $20,000 and $50,000, a large painting by Meeson Pae at $38,000 and a painting by Gloria Klein for $30,000; Tina Kim Gallery sold a trapunto by Pacita Abad in the range of $250,000 and $300,000 and a piece by Suki Seokyeong Kang in the range of $75,000 and $100,000; James Fuentes was another gallery that saw success with sales including a painting by Kikuo Saito for $120,000 and a painting by Geoffrey Holder for over $100,000; Kukje Gallery sold the 2021 painting Conjunction 21-107 by Ha Chong-Hyun in the range of $206,000 and $247,000 and numerous works in their group presentation in the range of €35,000 to €618,000 and Sean Kelly had major institutional sales in their solo presentation of Awol Erizku, including selling out all three editions of the lightbox work Figi for $55,000 each. Focus, the section of the fair that provides a platform for emerging US-based galleries under 12 years of operation, was curated by Essence Harden (Visual Arts Curator of the California African American Museum) and many participants reported huge successes and sold-out presentations.
Dominique Gallery placed all works in their solo presentation by Mustafa Ali Clayton, including sculptures ranging from $12,000 to $100,000; Matthew Brown sold out their solo presentation of works by Kent O’Connor, including paintings for $40,000 and $55,000; Nazarian / Curcio sold multiple works from their solo presentation of Widline Cadet, including one photograph for $45,000 and several others in the range of $3,000 to $24,000; Ochi placed all works in their solo presentation of Lilian Martinez and pt.2 Gallery sold out of their mixed media on canvas works by Muzae Sesay in the range of $16,000 and $30,000.
Artists in attendance included JOJO ABOT, Doug Aitken, Kelly Akashi, Lita Albuquerque, Terry Allen, Katherine Bernhardt, Andrea Bowers, Diedrick Brackens, Widline Cadet, Jordan Casteel, Studio Drift, Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, Sidney Felsen, Delfin Finley, Koshin Finley, Genevieve Gaignard, Charles Gaines, Todd Gray, Jennifer Guidi, Nikolai Haas, Chase Hall, Jammie Holmes, Elliott Hundley, Alex Israel, Arthur Jafa, Titus Kaphar, Shio Kusaka, Mire Lee, Tala Madani, Yeni Mao, Ruben Ochoa, Catherine Opie, Eamon Ore-Giron, Christina Quarles, Edgar Ramirez, Umar Rashid, Calida Rawles, Allen Ruppersberg, Alison Saar, Betye Saar, Analia Saban, Max Hooper Schneider, Mindy Shapero, Zhou Tiehai, Nadya Tolokonnikova, Gary Tyler, Mary Weatherford and Jonas Wood.
Prominent art collectors at Frieze Los Angeles included Maria Bell and Bill Bell, Alison Berg, Eric Diefenbach and James Keith (JK) Brown, Eleanor Cayre, Michael Chow, Evan Chow, J. Patrick Collins, Cliff Einstein, Max Eisenberg, Ariel Emanuel, Robert and Elizabeth Fisher, Bob Gersh, Lisa Goodman, Maja Hoffmann, Terri Holoman, Franz von Holzhausen, Maria Hummer-Tuttle, Nancy Josephson, Pamela Joyner, Karyn Kohl, Jill and Peter Kraus, Joel Lubin, Jarl Mohn, Dominic and Ellen Ng, Susan Bay Nimoy, Corinne and Laurent Opman, Sybil Robson Orr, Michael Ovitz, Mike de Paola, Carolyn Clark Powers, Jodi and Michael Price, Lynda Resnick, Amnon and Katie Rodan, Allison and Bennett Rosenthal, Jason and Michelle Rubell, Ronnie Sassoon and James Crump, Pete Scantland, Andrew Schwartzberg, Shanit Schwartz, Komal Shah, V. Joy Simmons, Domenico and Eleanore De Sole, Gary Steele, Lauren Taschen, Steve and Jamie Tisch, Ric Whitney and Tina Perry- Whitney and Sonya Yu.
The fair further saw notable individuals from the literary world and the entertainment, technology and sports industries including Jessica Alba, Mahershala Ali, Omar Apollo, Jessica Biel, Benny Blanco, Josh Brolin, Tim Cook, Angela Davis, Fran Drescher, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., The Edge, Lisa Edelstein, Ginevra Elkann, Will Ferrell, Jane Fonda, Roxane Gay, Sara Gilbert, Gunna, Alana Haim, Alexandra Hedison, LeBron James, Diane Keaton, Anthony Kiedis, Michael Patrick King, Rob Lowe, Tobey Maguire, Mike D, Ryan Murphy, Jeremy Pope, Zachary Quinto, John C. Reilly, Chris Rock, Aryna Sabalenka, Milo Ventimiglia, Christopher Williams, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson.
What The Dealers Said:
With over 95 participants, both local and international galleries shared their insights around enthusiasm and energy from top collectors, institutional groups and leading curators.
Max Falkenstein, Senior Partner, Gladstone Gallery: ‘We are thrilled to have participated once again in Frieze Los Angeles. It is always a wonderful experience to be a part of the vibrant atmosphere of both the fair and the surrounding city. The sales achieved this year were notable, including those of Richard Serra, Alex Katz, Ugo Rondinone, Philippe Parreno, Richard Aldrich, Carrie Mae Weems and Aaron Gilbert, who recently joined Gladstone’s program. We are grateful to continue to present our artists at Frieze and truly value the support and organization of the fair.’
Hyun-Sook Lee, Founder & Chairwoman, Kukje Gallery: ‘We are once again delighted to participate in this year’s edition of Frieze L.A., where we have received tremendous interest in a wide range of Korean and international artists. We are proud to say that sales were strong this year, and we have yet again been able to promote Korean art internationally. It was great to see the ever-increasing interest in Korean contemporary art, aligned with major shows across the US, especially in this case, the current show dedicated to Korean experimental art at the Hammer Museum.’
Tim Blum, Owner, BLUM: ‘Frieze Los Angeles was very well attended. The fair was filled with a cross-section of serious art world people – buyers, sellers, curators, advisors, artists, the Los Angeles community, the national community and some of the international community. There was a really good energy.’
Marc Payot, President, Hauser & Wirth: ‘What makes Frieze Week in Los Angeles itself so special is the mingling of a robust, homegrown art scene with an influx of people from around the world who love this city and its artists. Accordingly, our gallery’s spaces here are presenting the achievements of Los Angeles greats and titans from other places who have been deeply influenced by the city – Charles Gaines and Jason Rhoades are featured in new shows at our Downtown Arts District complex while Pat Steir’s latest suite of paintings at our West Hollywood space draw upon the optical effects of L.A.’s famous light. Frieze L.A. itself is so vibrant because it, too, brings L.A.’s most dedicated art audience and galleries together with a cohort from around the world. We’re thrilled to be a part of it.’
Breanne Bradley, Director, Commonwealth & Council: ‘We’re thrilled with the reception to this year’s presentation with Lotus L. Kang and Suki Seokyeong Kang. The fair brought many curators, collectors and museum professionals and allowed us to place work with new and returning clients. It’s always nice to end a fair on a good note, especially in the gallery’s hometown.’
Xavier Hufkens, Founder: ‘There’s something special about returning to L.A., a city many of our artists call home. For its fifth edition, Frieze L.A. has not only cemented its status as an indispensable fair but also underscores the city’s vital role in shaping the contemporary art scene worldwide.’
Thaddaeus Ropac, Owner: ‘It’s great to see how Frieze L.A. and the wider art scene in the city is developing year on year. The atmosphere has been very upbeat and as usual there has been strong attendance for the opening. It’s great to have seen collectors from Europe and China attending.’
Mathieu Borysevicz, Founder and Director, BANK: ‘This was our inaugural year in Frieze L.A. and the results went way beyond our expectations in terms of sales, exposure, crowds and conversations. Not only was the local support of institutions and individual collectors out in full force but we also met great people from every corner of the planet. And then of course the dazzle of L.A.’s entertainment industry, general showmanship of the crowd and West Coast laid backness was the cherry on the cake.’
Helen Babst, Owner, Babst Gallery: ‘We had a great time at the fair with several museum sales. Frieze was a fabulous platform to show people Harry Fonseca’s work. This fair is so special: not only did we meet great curators and collectors but we ran into old friends we hadn’t seen since junior high.’
Chiara Repetto, Owner, kaufmann repetto: ‘There is a pleasure of discovery here at Frieze Los Angeles and a curious public who is willing to learn about new artists. The energy felt high, and we sold out by the middle of opening day.’
Maureen Paley, Owner: ‘The vibrant energy in the fair from the first hour and throughout was impressive. There was positive interest in Max Hooper Schneider who is L.A.-based and a generous response to Wolfgang Tillmans, Felipe Baeza, Chioma Ebinama, Behrang Karimi and Gillian Wearing. The total L.A. experience is something we look forward to in our calendar and Frieze was focused and very rewarding this year.’
Seth Curcio, Owner, Nazarian / Curcio: ‘It’s been so wonderful to exhibit in the Frieze Focus section this year. Essence Harden curated an inspiring group of galleries, and we were thrilled to debut a solo presentation by L.A.-based Haitian artist Widline Cadet. The energy was high, the crowds were packed and we were excited to align this presentation with the recent announcement of our gallery’s name change from Shulamit Nazarian to Nazarian / Curcio. We placed the centrepiece artwork in our booth on opening day to a private collector and also sold out of multiple editions with photographs going to notable private collections and a prominent institution in Northern California.’
Pauli Ochi, Owner and Founder, Ochi: ‘It’s been a stellar fair so far. Lilian Martinez’s work is definitely resonating with people and we’ve had a lot of vibrant conversations. Our team was able to place all the paintings from our first-day presentation and then reset the booth for day two. Everything is either sold or on reserve – including the chairs in the booth.’
Bennett Roberts, Co-founder, Roberts Projects: ‘The quality of material galleries presented was outstanding. Frieze L.A. has become a true plus for our city.’
Brock Brake, Owner, pt.2 Gallery: ‘Frieze overall has been one of the most impactful moments for pt.2 gallery since it opened in 2018. pt.2 couldn’t be more proud to participate in our first Frieze, while also representing a special place like Oakland that doesn’t get a lot of attention. This is the first time an Oakland gallery has participated in anything Frieze related, so we consider this a great honor. With the great attendance at the fair we have been able to connect with many new enthusiasts and reconnect with many clients and museums we have only talked to online. We hope to participate and contribute to Frieze’s growing presentations around the world.’
Hannah Traore, Founder & Director, Hannah Traore Gallery: ‘The exposure that Frieze has given the gallery is career changing. There also has been such a beautiful camaraderie between the galleries in the Focus section. It’s really been a joy to participate for the second year in a row, this time with James Perkins, whose paintings and sculptures create a contemporary discourse around Land Art and Earthwork.’
James Fuentes, Owner: ‘We were thrilled with the response to our presentation of Kikuo Saito and Geoffrey Holder at Frieze this year. The fair proved a wonderful opportunity to deepen our institutional engagement and dialogues around Holder and Saito, including with Aram Moshayedi and Annie Philbin (Hammer Museum), Johanna Burton and Thelma Golden. Important sales that transpired at the fair itself include sales to trustees of MOCA L.A. and the Hammer Museum.’
Kaeli Deane, Director, Lisson Gallery: ‘It’s a pleasure to be back at Frieze L.A. and see its evolution five years after it first launched in the city. The energy this year has been fantastic and sales have been strong. We’ve sold works by several artists across our roster, including Olga de Amaral, Hélio Oiticica, Kelly Akashi, Anish Kapoor, Li Ran, Hugh Hayden, Sarah Cunningham and Rodney Graham – the latter who
we are celebrating at Lisson’s L.A. gallery alongside the fair. Frieze L.A. is always a great way to start the year and we’ve seen a strong turnout from both local, L.A. collectors and institutions, as well as
international visitors.’
Emilia Yin, Owner, Make Room: ‘We are thrilled to share one of the most ambitious presentations by a legendary Chinese-American artist Yeni Mao at Frieze this year. It was great to have many museum patron groups coming by to engage with us during the fair, and the tremendous media attention throughout. We are also very happy that many of the works are now headed to prominent collections.’
Tina Kim, Owner, Tina Kim Gallery: ‘We have had a very successful fair with great interest in our Asian diasporic women artists such as Pacita Abad, Maia Ruth Lee, Mire Lee, Suki Seokyeong Kang and Jennifer Tee. There was a great deal of institutional interest from curators to learn more about these artists’ practices. Artists like Suh Seungwon and Ha Chong-Hyun also were highlights as the audience knew them from seeing their work in the Only the Young exhibition that opened recently at the Hammer Museum.’
Anat Ebgi, Owner: ‘This year did not disappoint, our strong sales speak for themselves. Fueled by enthusiastic collectors and substantive presentations, Frieze L.A. continues to be a not-to-be-missed annual highlight for the art world. We were delighted to debut historic works by Gloria Klein, along with embroideries by Jordan Nassar and biomorphic painting and sculpture by Meeson Pae – each of whom has upcoming L.A. solo shows at the gallery this year.’
Dominique Clayton, Owner, Dominique Gallery: ‘This year’s Frieze feels like a big full circle moment for me. Having worn so many hats in the art business (writer, curator, museum staff, consultant and gallerist), it’s so rewarding to return to my gallery work and connect all the dots while making big wins. As an L.A. native raising a family who frequents local museums and galleries regularly, the CAAM acquisition is so deeply meaningful. Adding to art history in real-time and contributing to Black artist legacy building has always been my guiding light in this business, and Frieze provided a wonderful way for me to do that. I have so much gratitude to everyone involved, especially Mustafa.’
Leah Turner, Director, Esther Schipper: ‘This year’s edition of Frieze L.A. has firmly cemented the fair as the most important annual contemporary art event on the West Coast. We were very pleased with the positive response our solo booth of works by New York-based painter Sojourner Truth Parsons garnered from the many art-loving visitors and the resulting sales interest. Overall, the quality of gallery presentations across the fair was very strong and will continue to closely follow the development of Frieze L.A. and its sister fairs across the globe.’
Angela Brazda, Director, White Cube: ‘Los Angeles is an important market for us as we continue to grow White Cube’s presence in the US, and this year Frieze delivered, bringing incredible energy and enthusiasm. We made several new regional connections and sold to new and existing clients, placing important works by Lynne Drexler, who is new to White Cube’s roster, Marina Rheingantz, Tracey Emin and Sara Flores, among others, and we saw great enthusiasm and institutional interest in our focused presentation of works by Lygia Pape. We also sold a sculpture by Antony Gormley as excitement builds for his solo presentation opening at White Cube New York later this spring.’
Emmanuel Perrotin, Founder, Perrotin: ‘Los Angeles truly came alive this week. The amazing response to our program at the fair reaffirmed our decision to open a permanent home for our artists in L.A. The opening of our gallery earlier this week was absolutely packed with quality collectors and institution representatives.’
Nicholas Olney, President, Kasmin: ‘Frieze has brought an excellent crowd to the fair and it’s been great to see the response to Vanessa German’s new rose quartz sculptures – a highly personal body of work that has connected deeply and broadly with audiences. The presentation has created a certain gravitational pull within the tent and it’s been fantastic to watch visitors resonate with the cathartic, redemptive messages in German’s work.’
Stephen Friedman, Founder, Stephen Friedman Gallery: ‘What makes Frieze Los Angeles stand out is its intimate setting, which allows collectors, curators and advisors to engage in deeper and more meaningful conversations. Our decision to present a comprehensive body of work by Brazilian artist Luiz Zerbini enhances the opportunity for multiple entries, encouraging a more contemplative understanding
and appreciation of his practice.’
Jessica Silverman, Owner: ‘What a year for Frieze Los Angeles! Our all-female booth was such a resounding success that we had to re-hang new cast bronze bells by Davina Semo after selling out all five we presented on the first day. We had countless sightings of museum curators and directors the entire fair week. I loved seeing museum groups that came from up and down the entire West Coast as well as across the country.’
Elisa Uematsu, Director, Taka Ishii Gallery: ‘Taka Ishii Gallery is delighted to participate again at Frieze Los Angeles, this time with a booth solely dedicated to photography, from vintage prints of Daido Moriyama and Surrealist photographer Kansuke Yamamoto to conceptual artists Thomas Demand and Yuki Kimura. We are happy with the response to the work of Kunié Sugiura, who is working with photography in an experimental way, and to postwar photographers Yasuhiro Ishimoto and Ikko Narahara – and to have been able to place the works with new local collectors. Frieze Los Angeles is a great meeting place.’
Top Photo: Frieze LA 2024 Photo: Clayton Calvert © Artlyst 2024