Art Exhibitions in LA: What’s on?

Upcoming Art Shows in LA 

We have enjoyed the range of virtual shows throughout lockdown - we can’t fault the free trips, albeit via our laptops, to MoMa and beyond, thank you Google Arts and Culture. And, while we’re grateful for the many post-pandemic digital offerings that are now here to stay, we are ready to once again embrace the gallery space IRL. 

From absorbing interactive shows to never-before-seen-works by leading contemporary artists, here’s our report on the top three current art shows to see in LA this month. Please note that gallery events may be cancelled or postponed last minute due to COVID-19. Always pre-book and contact venues in advance before travelling to an exhibition. 

 

Diaspora-Arirang at Shatto Gallery 

Blossom, 2021 by Hei Myung C. Hyun. Image courtesy of the artist and Shatto Gallery.
 

Shatto Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in the heart of central Los Angeles committed to promoting exhibitions of diverse practices and cultures. The top LA gallery is hosting a group exhibition, Diaspora-Arirang, from August 7 to September 5, 2021, featuring established and emerging artists handpicked from a stellar roster of national and international Korean-American creatives. 

Diaspora-Arirang will exhibit artworks contributed by the Korean immigrant diaspora in Southern California. All the works are inspired by their interpretation of the Korean folk song, “Arirang,” which translates as a strong desire to live in harmony with your environment. However, the highly nuanced song explores the intricacies of seeking this harmony in an infinitely and ever-changing world. 

The works, which present uniquely Korean aesthetics, are laced with a deep sense of nostalgia and ideas on belonging. The show aims to amplify minority voices and prolong the conversation on race and immigrant diasporic identity in America. 

 

Legacies of Exchange: Chinese Contemporary Art from the Yuz Foundation at LACMA

Infanta, 1997 by Yue Minjun. Image courtesy of the artist, Yuz Foundation and Pace Gallery.

 

Legacies of Exchange: Chinese Contemporary Art from the Yuz Foundation has pooled together an electrifying range of Chinese contemporary artworks. The works, sourced from the Yuz Museum’s critically acclaimed selection of contemporary art, reflect on international trade, political conflict, and global artistic exchange, with a spotlight on the relationship between China and the West. 

With contributions from political activist Ai WeiWei, painter Huang Long Ping, printmaker Xu Bing and more, expect a boundary-breaking immersive collaboration. A stand-out feature of the show is the exhibition soundtrack by LACMA and Mark “Frosty” McNeill, who have synthesised a chorus of Chinese tunes, western pop covers and experimental remixes of classical compositions. The soundscape doesn’t just accompany your visit; it transports you. 

The show is part of an ongoing partnership with the Yuz Museum in Shanghai, China, which hopes to promote greater accessibility to international artworks.

 

Mario Giacomelli: Figure/Ground at The Getty Centre

Young Priests, No. 74, 1961–63; printed 1981 by Mario Giacomelli. Image courtesy of Mario Giacomelli Archive © Rita and Simone Giacomelli.

 

Head to the Getty Centre in Los Angeles to learn about the life and work of one of the most celebrated Italian photographers of our time, Mario Giacomelli. Mario Giacomelli is known for his gritty high-contrast black-and-white photography. His dramatic and highly personal photojournalistic portraits, praised for their poetic depth, meditate on themes of time, memory, and existence. His avant-garde approach to shadow, exposure and darkroom techniques, and his refined visual language, presaged a shift in contemporary photography. 

The Getty Centre will be showcasing some of his most respected postwar images, many of which echo the style of grainy postwar Neorealist film and Existentialist literature. An absolute must-see for anyone seeking to discover the story behind a pioneer of modern humanism and a master of form and effect.