The five-year-old Felix L.A., founded by the dealers Al and Mills Morán and the collector Dean Valentine, is known for being a more relaxed and intimate market than the Frieze L.A.
“The fair was always created on the notion that there needs to be an art show that was genuinely about the work, in a low-pressure setting, or a fun one, to take away some of the shopping mall vibes of the larger art fairs. Being just another fair to hold concurrently with Frieze was never our intention.”
“But when Frieze L.A. announced that it would move to the Santa Monica Airport for its 2023 edition, it wasn’t immediately clear if Felix would move to the city’s Westside. Now that Felix will return to the renowned Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, we may let go of our presumptions,” says Valentine.
“The setting, in my opinion, is unbeatable,” remarked Valentine. “Without the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Felix is not truly Felix. The palm trees, the pool painted by David Hockney, and the ballroom from the 1920s all give this place a distinct Southern California atmosphere.”
In order to prepare for the possibility that L.A. traffic may prevent visitors from visiting both on the same day, as has been the case in previous years, Felix will start operations one day earlier for its 2023 edition. From February 15 to February 19, 60 exhibitors, including 14 new galleries and 46 returning galleries, will participate in the fair. Since they love the intimate scale of the fair and its environs at the Hollywood Roosevelt, Valentine asserted that Felix has no plans to grow beyond its current cap of 60 exhibitors.
The event will feature participation from several local companies, including Charlie James Gallery, Anat Ebgi, Matthew Brown Gallery, Nicodim, Morán Morán, One Trick Pony, and Wilding Cran. The Breeder, Document, Galvak, Lomex, P.P.O.W., Kasmin, Monique Meloche, Kavi Gupta, Adams and Ollman, and Rachel Uffner are some other famous exhibitors. Among the new galleries are Reyes Finn from Detroit, Rele Gallery from Los Angeles and Lagos, and SPURS Gallery from Beijing.