FRIEZE WEEK

For the second edition of Frieze Los Angeles, NeueHouse welcomed the burgeoning LA arts community to Frieze Week at NeueHouse: a week-long series of events, talks, screenings, performances and installations celebrating our dedication to taking artistic risks in the communities we reside in, and supporting culture at large.

The week was kicked off with the unveiling of an installation on the NeueHouse Hollywood facade by famed Los Angeles artist Barbara Kruger.  Kruger has long been the international standard bearer for conceptual art, inspiring the intersection of language, image, and communications since the 1980s. Her piece invited LA onlookers to consider how their personal positions are formed, and which myths influence their lives, with words “WHO BUYS THE CON?”

On Monday, we brought together NeueHouse member and landscape artist Lily Kwong with the leading minds of LA’s creative community to enjoy a mushroom-themed three course meal inspired by nature’s complex, multi-dimensional relationship with the creative spirit – a theme that set the tone for the events to follow.

The week continued with a screening of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a film based in 18th century France documenting a reluctant bride-to-be entering a convent under the guise of companionship, but with intentions to engage in a forbidden sexual relationship with a woman, observing her muse by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. In the end, the portrait became a rebellious testament to their love – a symbol of the role that art continues to play in culture.  The screening was followed by a conversation with photographer Polly Borland, artist Penny Slinger and Kohshin Finley.

As the sun set, we softened the edges with dance, music and libations at our newly designed restaurant in NeueHouse Hollywood. We welcomed Gold Diggers – a leading music venue that brings artists at the forefront of culture to the stage – for a bit of disco, funk and energy to bring life to our new dance floor.

After some much needed rest, Thursday night shined a light on a pop-up art exhibition curated by Brooke Wise in collaboration with Tom of Finland – an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting erotic art.   Works by artists Gus Van Sant, Robert Mapplethorpe, John Waters, and more provoked onlookers to question the role of sexuality in art in the 21st century.

The week was culminated with Frieze Music.  For the second year in a row, our historic soundstage, Studio A, was activated by a series of artists who all break conventional style and genre. Zsela, Caroline Polachek, and Moses Sumney brought home Frieze Week at NeueHouse with an eclectic sound and visuals – reminding us that music is truly one of the most powerful forms of artistic expression and connection.