The Latin American Pavilion Marks a Milestone at the LA Art Show

The Latin American Pavilion at the LA Art Show will highlight the creative achievements of our community.
Although the LA Art Show—probably the most popular art fair in the United States—has featured a special section called DIVERSEartLA for several years, showcasing many Latin artists, what will happen now is unprecedented.

For this year's edition, taking place from January 7 to 11 at its usual location, the Los Angeles Convention Center, the event organizers have decided to present, for the first time, the Latin American Pavilion, an area of the festival specifically dedicated to Hispanic talent.

As expected, the space will be directed by Marisa Caichiolo, the Argentine curator whom we have interviewed on more than one occasion. She has been working with the LA Art Show since 2015 and, naturally, feels a strong affinity for the works created by our community.

In a press release, the organizers of the event state that the Latin American Pavilion will focus on memory, migration, and identity, and will undertake “a profound ancestral inquiry into the power dynamics in the representation of artists within the gallery system” with the aim of inviting the public to reconsider the origins, belonging, and ever-evolving future of Latin American art across borders.

“At a time when immigration issues continue to disproportionately affect Latin American communities, it is especially important to provide a platform for these artists,” Caichiolo states in the same text.

“Although their perspectives are vital for a more complete and equitable understanding of contemporary art, they remain underrepresented at major art fairs,” she adds. “This pavilion seeks to amplify their voices and affirm Latin America’s cultural and creative contributions on the global stage.”

The galleries invited to participate in this space include Artier Fine Art, which will present the exhibition “In the Mouth of the Jaguar: Reimagined Myths,” bringing together ten contemporary Latin American artists who explore, recover, and reconstruct the ancestral mythologies of the Americas.

The figure of the jaguar will be the starting point for a journey through the works of Natasha Grey (Mexico), Ender Martos (Venezuela), Dario Ortiz (Colombia), Moises Ortiz (Mexico), Luigi Fantini (Mexico), Brigitte Briones (Mexico), Ariel Vargassal (Mexico), Guillermo Bert (Chile), Miguel Osuna (United States), and Carlos Luna (Cuba).

For its part, Verse Gallery will present six artists, including Maquiamelo from Colombia, Esteban Jácome from Ecuador, Maca Vivas from Mexico, and Johnny López from Colombia, each with their own distinct style and artistic vision.

In other areas, the fair, celebrating its 31st year, will feature more than 90 exhibitors, including the Oliver Sears Gallery from Dublin, Provident Fine Art from Palm Beach, and the Pontone Gallery from London. There will be greater representation of British artists thanks to the LA Art Show debuts of the John Martin Gallery and Quantum Contemporary Art from London.

The jaguar will be the starting point for a journey through the works of Natasha Grey (Mexico), Ender Martos (Venezuela), Dario Ortiz (Colombia), Moises Ortiz (Mexico), Luigi Fantini (Mexico), Brigitte Briones (Mexico), Ariel Vargassal (Mexico), Guillermo Bert (Chile), Miguel Osuna (United States), and Carlos Luna (Cuba).

On the other hand, the Swiss gallery LICHT FELD will present the first public exhibition in over 40 years of woodcuts by Karl A. Meyer, a renowned Swiss sculptor and painter who has been particularly interested in Native American art.

Corridor Contemporary will exhibit the work of New York-based Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri, a practitioner of photorealism known for his large-scale portraits of young women set against lush landscapes.

There will also be a strong Korean presence with 15 participating galleries from that country, including J&J Art, which will present “Elegant Freedom,” an immersive work by Jinny Suh.

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