Here in sunny Los Angeles, celebrity-spotting is more like a sport than a hobby, and the VIP opening of Frieze is always the perfect arena.
On Thursday afternoon at the former Santa Monica Airport, a wide array of important collectors, artists, and dealers converged together see the art on view—and to clock which stars might be in the market for a painting or two.
The usual Hollywood suspects were present, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and brothers Luke and Owen Wilson. But these A-listers were far from alone.
Here, too, was Will Ferrell, whose wife, Viveca Paulin-Ferrell, is a trustee at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (The duo’s art collection includes work by Julie Mehretu, Huguette Caland, and Analia Saban.)
If you cruised along Wilshire Boulevard this week, you could catch a glimpse of construction crews hard at work on the institution’s massive and controversial Peter Zumthor-designed revamp, which is slated to be completed in late 2024.
Will Ferrell chats with another art lover at Frieze Los Angeles. Photo by Casey Kelbaugh.
Ferrell’s frequent co-star, John C. Reilly, was also present in the halls of the fair, as was fellow actor Robert Downey Jr. You could put together a pretty good movie with the A-listers who came by on Tuesday—and you would have a producer power team around to help.
We spotted producer and actor Tom Ackerley though he was sadly not seen with his wife, Barbie star Margot Robbie. He was instead spied stomping through a fair booth with fellow producer Matthew Plouffe.
David Zwirner and Leonardo DiCaprio at Frieze Los Angeles. Photo by River Callaway/ARTnews via Getty Images
Actor and collector Leonardo Dicaprio was spotted in David Zwirner‘s booth, standing with the dealer, who was presenting work by art star Joe Bradley (Dicaprio owns—or at least he used to own—Bradley’s work. The actor sold at least one painting by Bradley at a star-studded charity auction back in 2013).
The works by Bradley on view at Zwirner are the first in a new group of works that the artist will bring to New York in April for his first solo exhibition the gallery since Zwirner announced his representation last spring.
Anthony Kiedis at Frieze Los Angeles. Photo by River Callaway/ARTnews via Getty Images.
Elsewhere, Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis was seen at Karma‘s booth, catching up with director Clémence White in front of Reggie Burrows Hodges’s painting Target Audience. We also spied model Monique Kivella donning a scene-appropriate hat that said “art” on it. (We need to get her a Wet Paint hat.)
Fashion entrepreneur Evangelo Bousis, designer Peter Dundas, and collector Frederico Castro Debernardi at Frieze Los Angeles. Photo by River Callaway/ARTnews via Getty Images)
The art world’s own A-list stock of celebrities were mixing and mingling with their Hollywood influencer and platinum award-winning friends: there was Gagosian director Antwaun Sargent, artists Jonas Wood, Jordan Casteel, Lauren Quin, Calvin Marcus, and Alex Israel.
Art Production Fund cofounder Yvonne Force Villareal and Thelma Golden, the director of the Studio Museum in Harlem. (Its new David Adjaye-designed home has a 2025 opening on the calendar.)
Zachary Quinto, Alex Israel and Sybil Robson at the Serpentine Americas Foundation at Frieze LA on February 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Roger Kisby/WWD via Getty Images)
Of course, the mingling spills out from the fair and into a flurry of events all around town. Ahead of the fair, Jane Fonda was hanging at Jimmy Iovine’s mansion where the music mogul and his friend, rapper/producer Dr. Dre were selling off 11 artworks to benefit the Iovine and Young Center.
Lauren Halsey and Korek at the Serpentine Americas Foundation at Frieze Los Angeles on February 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Roger Kisby/WWD via Getty Images)
Hans Ulrich Obrist and Bettina Korek, in town from London, were seen hanging out with Lana del Rey at their Serpentine Americas Foundation celebration, which was hosted by philanthropist and collectors Sybil Robson Orr and Matthew Orr.
Also brushing shoulders at the party were actor Zachary Quinto, artist Tyler Mitchell, A.I. art star Refik Anadol, and collector Maja Hoffman.
Artist Lauren Halsey, who will have a solo exhibition at Serpentine South in October, also made an appearance. As is usual and deemed the chic way to do things in Los Angeles, everyone hung around the pool and no one swam.
See more snaps of the celebrities we saw out in the wild in and around Frieze Los Angeles.
Photographer and director Alexandra Hedison, at left, at Frieze. Photo by River Callaway/ARTnews via Getty Images.
Producer and actor Tom Ackerley and producer Matthew Plouffe at Frieze. Photo by River Callaway/ARTnews via Getty Images.
Super agent Ari Emanuel and his wife, beloved designer Sarah Staudinger, at the STAUD and Jeffrey Deitch celebration of Frieze 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WWD via Getty Images.
Atmosphere at the Serpentine Americas Foundation at Frieze LA on February 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Roger Kisby/WWD via Getty Images)