The Los Angeles-based art dealer Honor Fraser is known for an intellectually rigorous artistic program that is pushing forward important discourses about emergent technologies and their aesthetics. As a networked local who is plugged into the scene and who maintains strong connections internationally, Fraser is well-seasoned at navigating town and getting through Frieze week unruffled.
The dealer shares what she has on-diary for VIP day at Frieze L.A., what shows and booths are her must-sees, and which Italian bar she is headed to as an action-packed day winds down.
Morning starts early with a walk on the beach, one of L.A.’s finest features that puts everything into perspective, always. Next stop is getting my teenage boys to school, which can be similarly humbling. I head to the gallery via Intelligentsia on Washington Blvd, for my favorite coffee. Sci-fi artist Lucy McRae and I get on a call to finalize details for our upcoming trip to London together for Wired Health, a conference that brings together scientists and disruptors in the healthcare space, working to effect positive change. Lucy has spoken at the conference before, and we share interest in the subject. Between work commitments, we have also planned to catch the acclaimed Australian production of The Picture of Dorian Gray at the Theater Royal Haymarket and Benjamin Millepied’s new performance in Paris for L.A. Dance Project.
Honor Fraser’s gallery
At the gallery, Jesse Damiani and I have a quick meeting to go over the exhibition walk-throughs we have planned during the week. Damiani has curated our current group show “SMALL V01CE,” which explores the intersection of A.I., instinct, and intuition. The first visit of the day is Hans Ulrich Obrist and Bettina Korek, from the Serpentine Galleries in London. Artists Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst are included in SMALL V01CE; they have an upcoming show at the Serpentine in autumn 2024.
Also included in our show, Alexander Reben, pops into the gallery and I finally get to meet him IRL. He is the first artist-in-residence at OpenAI. We hear more about Sora, OpenAI’s new model that can generate extraordinary quality videos and images from text.
Me with Jesse at gallery
I have a quick check-in with my brilliant staff, gallery director Jamison Edgar and gallery manager Autrina Maroufi. Our Frieze programming includes a debate about ethics in A.I., moderated by Damiani, with speakers Anuradha Vikram, Steven Vargas, and Holly Willis. We have an artist conversation rooted in A.I., between Landon Ross and Steven Fry. Both events are more than sold-out, and we discuss how we can safely squeeze everyone into the space. It is gratifying to feel the interest in these complex ideas.
With Michael Connor of rhizome, and artists Landon Ross and Lauren Bon
There are a few installation details to go over with regard to our next show, “Erotic Codex,” curated by Jamison Edgar and Alice Scope. The show, which opens in early April, surveys the liberties and affordances of sex and the erotic devices that artists use to cultivate power in an ever-hybridizing digital age.
With the stripper poles sorted, it is time to whizz over to Hollywood to visit Matt DiGiacomo in his studio. Along with an illustrious committee, I am helping Jane Fonda with her auction event, Jane Fonda Presents: Art For a Safe and Healthy California. We are seeking to protect the health and well-being of California, especially its children, by ensuring that Governor Newsom’s Senate Bill SB1137 does not get repealed this November. Matt has generously agreed to donate. I am bringing Jane to meet Matt, and to finalize his donation. Other artists donating include Kenny Scharf, Christina Quarles, Marilyn Minter, Cathie Opie, Ed Ruscha, and Alex Israel. The event will be held on Tuesday April 9, hosted by Gagosian in Beverly Hills, and led by the indomitable Deborah McLeod.
Reggie Burrows HodgesTarget Audience, (2020), which will be presented by Karma at Frieze L.A. Courtesy Karma
The generosity of artists was notable and moving to see this week. Tuesday night’s glittering benefit auction hosted by Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre, along with David Kordansky, Josh Abrahams, and James Corden raised significant funds for the Iovine and Young Center for High School Education, thanks to generous donations from a powerhouse group of 10 artists including Ann Craven, Sayre Gomez, Rashid Johnson, and Hilary Pecis.
In Hollywood, I am so close to the store Just One Eye and I wish I had time to pop in to see the carefully curated combo of ‘art, fashion, and culture’. But that is for another week when things aren’t so rushed. If you are visiting the galleries in Hollywood, I recommend a quick stop.
Lunch at E Baldi in Beverly Hills with a client from out of town. The spelt salad is my favorite. Lean and wholesome at once.
And then, the art fair. There are many L.A. galleries, which are interesting; I make a point of seeking out Karma on any fair floorplan and find time to make it to their booth. I am happy to see OMR in L.A. from Mexico City—I always look forward to the work of Pia Camil and Eduardo Sarabia. OMR are also hosting an off-site pop-up group show at Casa Pentra, co-curated with Esthella Provas that includes artists Camil, Claudia Comte, and Ana Montiel to name a few.
Pia Camil Be Happy, (2023) Courtesy of the artist and OMR, Mexico City.
I love both Bortolami and Pilar Corrias’ programs and ensure that I carve out a quiet moment in their booths between all the hellos and air kissing. It is good to see new work by Isabelle Albuquerque at Jeffrey Deitch. Another must-see on my list is the public program’s “Set Seen,” organized by the Art Production Fund. The works here speak to “constructed environments,” and is an interesting project for Los Angeles and the land of set design.
Matt Johnson, Giant Shell Swan, presented with Art Production Fund at Frieze L.A. 2024. Photo by Greg Kessler. Courtesy of The Ranch
Two shows on the agenda beyond the fair have mirroring titles: “Scratching at the Moon” at the ICALA and “At The Edge of the Sun” at Jeffrey Deitch. Minutes from the fair in Santa Monica is one of my favorite L.A. galleries, 5 Car Garage, run by Emma Gray, which is presenting Morteza Khakshoor‘s show “Studio Visit.”
On West Jefferson Blvd, Spy Projects is presenting the work of Chris Lloyd, and Interreality on Wilshire, near LACMA, the result of a partnership between bitforms gallery, Mieke Marple and Aubrie Wienholt. I hope to catch some of their Frieze programming, especially the panel discussion with Alex Estorick, editor-in-chief of Right Click Save, Gretchen Andrew, Katie Peyton Hofstadter, Peter Wu+, and Zsofi Valyi-Nagy.
After the fair and a good dose of gallery-hopping and catching up, I’ll have a dirty martini at the bar at Capo in Santa Monica.
While I should call it a night at this point, I’m not sure that is all that likely…
Learn more about Honor Fraser’s program here.