Immerse Yourself in the LA Art Fair
9 Artists’ Immersive Work Tackles The Climate Crisis
By Eve Weston
From the Museum of Ice Cream to Glass Onion: A Knives Out Experience, immersive experiences are all the rage. And LA Art Fair, the city’s largest and longest-running art fair, wants to make sure they’re part of the conversation. To that end, they have a whopping nine immersive art experiences at this year’s art fair.
While the presence of immersive content at the fair isn’t new, it is
stronger than ever this year. Since 2015, they’ve been running the popular and non-commercial DIVERSEartLA program, and past attendees may recall hitting punching bags with faces of political figures in 2019, just one of many immersive art experiences DIVERSEartLA has provided. Curated by Marisa Caichiolo, this program connects local and international art institutions to generate thoughtful dialogue through art while honoring the unique biodiversity of Los Angeles.
The 2023 edition features nine interdisciplinary projects which examine the climate crisis — with a focus on water and drought — with a hope to inspire solutions.
“DIVERSEartLA provides visitors with a rare opportunity to reflect on the looming impact mankind could face through thought-provoking immersive experiences, which combine science, technology and art,” says DIVERSEartLA’s curator Marisa Caichiolo.
On February 19, DIVERSEartLA will present the inaugural Museum Acquisition Award for an Emerging Artist. Created by Spain’s La Neomudejar Museum with the support of LA Art Show, the award will give a local artist the opportunity to be part of the Museum’s permanent collection. The contenders are listed below:
Cooling Resources
A site-specific area with real grass for community engagement that will allows visitors to explore the importance of water, cooling resources and potential solutions.
This exhibit is presented by the collaborative planning effort of the same name, which exists to address the reality that Downtown Los Angeles is an urban heat island and Skid Row residents are particularly vulnerable. It is supported by Homeless Health Care Los Angeles (HHCLA).
“When God Was A Woman, 1980–2021”
This double-sided mural, made up of three panels, is by artist and ecofeminist, Judy Baca. In contemplation of Merlin Stone’s “When God Was A Woman,” Baca developed a workshop process to source ideas and construct imagery and content.
On one side, the thirteen women who participated in the workshop are incorporated into a painting, representing Latina, Chicana women and all women. Their naked bodies are shown standing in the fiery lava of the volcano synonymous with life while the other side of the triptych depicts a goddess possessing vital energy, Mother Earth. It is presented by The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach.
“Eternal Light”
In this work, inspired by Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment,” Korean artist HanHo uses traditional art, technology and performance to re-imagine an apocalyptic scenario for the 21st century. HanHo has created a massive nine-part multimedia work presented by ReflectSpace Gallery at the City of Glendale Library.
“The Pulse of Silence”
This video and sound installation features Alfredo de Stefano, one of Mexico’s most prominent contemporary photographers. De Stefano’s expansive photographs of deserts on five continents will be incorporated into the immersive experience, unifying the vastness and silence present across these lands while addressing the natural environment’s elemental significance. This piece is curated by Fabian Goncalvez and presented by the Washington D.C.-based Art Museum of the Americas (AMA).
“The Planetary Garden”
This video installation is an allegory of the planet as a garden. The artwork is a collaboration between Italian artists Pietro Ruffo and Elia Pellegrini, along with creative production studio Noruwei. It is inspired by the French philosopher Gilles Clement and presented by The Italian Cultural Institute (Los Angeles).
“Reactive Elements”
Divided into four sets to represent the different elements — air, water, earth and fire — and, using a suspended piece of fabric (voile), projected images unveil an ugly reality and the opportunity to come face-to-face with individual and the cumulative impact of anthropogenic activities on our environment. This art installation dealing with the fragility of our natural resources and the chain-like reactions caused by human activities comes from artist Alejandro Ordoñez and curator Marisa Caichiolo, and is presented by Raubtier & Unicus Productions (Los Angeles).
“Sense of Space”
This sensorial experience of six 3D sculptures and a video installation immerses the viewer in a work of art fostering a conversation surrounding the significance of water and its impact on the future of our planet. The installation is by artist Petra Eiko’s installation, presented by Wurzeln und Flügel (Germany), and supported by the German Consulate in Los Angeles.
“The Uninhabited”
Featuring clothes worn by immigrants, symbolizing struggles that are a testament to their personal stories, this project by Carmen Isasi reflects the immigration crisis. While the work was begun in 2019, with new, tougher policies in place now, Isasi focuses on European immigrants who have often lost hope and face dangerous journeys at sea. This work is presented by La Neomudejar Museum (Madrid, Spain).
“Rendezvous: This Land is My Land”
This video installation is intended to activate a conversation to review the past, the present and the future. It is a reflection on the environment and our impact on it, and the viewer is invited to observe how an organic arrangement (that of a river) is replaced by one of geometric and artificial order. The installation is by artist Davis Birks, curated by Laura Ayala, and presented by OPC Office of Cultural Projects (nonprofit, Mexico).
