by Anne Gabriel
Days turn into nights turn into mornings for a full week—with naps in between and a car turned into a closet. My house is still a disaster from clothes and various handouts strewn about. Nobody come over—you may get cut, lost, or buried.
Here are my top memorable moments from LA Art Week 2025.
1) Funny ceramic surprises at Felix
I love stumbling onto little surprise moments and secret finds and Tierra Del Sol and One Trick Pony scratched that itch. Tierra Del Sol had a curated closet and drawers of funny little bits that made me smile while One Trick Pony may have had one of my favorite pieces—a ceramic take on the Crazy Girls strip club.
2) Decided NOT to attend a large art party + kept people from crying
I won’t name the one but let’s just say that I refused to stand in the monstrously long line outside an art event party that was in Mid-City at night on Wednesday. Number of times I kept people from crying at the local bar I ended up at instead? At least 3.
3) Being back inside Hop Louie
Hop Louie, the Chinatown venue famous for holding punk shows in the 1990s and 2000s—which has been closed down for several years—reopened briefly to a crowd of people both familiar with its history and not. All my friends (myself included) wanted to go and immerse ourselves in a certain kind of deep red Chinatown restaurant nostalgia. It did not fail to deliver.
4) Laughing at craft projects at Frieze
So much of the art this year at Frieze looked like something my niece did in 4th grade. Is paste really making a comeback?
5) Feeling the community vibe at the Other Art Fair
Held in Atwater Village this year, the Other Art Fair never fails to deliver a friendly face and an earnest smile—a refreshing change from the de rigueur golden scowl at Frieze and Felix.
Other than that, as always, there was a lot of bad art. A lot of weird fashion. A lot of half-naked and exhausted women and men. A lot of drinking and a lot smiling and nodding at what models say when they want to discuss their hippy dresses and chakras. Thank goodness it’s over.
Image: Staff