Frieze Los Angeles welcomed back a sell-out crowd for 2020 – its second year – and hosted a brand new film award in the heart of Hollywood.
For four days, Paramount Pictures Studios was transformed from a motion-picture powerhouse to the centre of the contemporary art world. Running from Preview Day on Thursday, February 13 to Sunday, February 16, this year's fair attracted 35,000 visitors and featured 75 galleries from Los Angeles, the United States and the world.
In addition to the exhibitors filling the signature white tent, Frieze Projects took over the open-air film set of the Paramount Backlot with an immersive programme of artworks, films and performances, curated by Rita Gonzalez (Terri and Michael Smooke Curator and Department Head of Contemporary Art, LACMA) and Pilar Tompkins Rivas (Director, Vincent Price Art Museum).
As with Frieze Art Fairs worldwide, Deutsche Bank acted as Global Lead Partner and Deutsche Bank Wealth Management operated a dedicated lounge and café in partnership with the bank’s Art, Culture & Sports unit. The return to LA marks the latest chapter in the long-running relationship between Deutsche Bank and Frieze. “Deutsche Bank’s continued partnership with Frieze Los Angeles demonstrates our commitment to the West Coast and to engaging with our clients through our shared passion for art,” said Claudio de Sanctis, Global Head of Deutsche Bank Wealth Management.
Fly posters promoting the Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award outside the Pit Stop Cafe on the Paramount Backlot.
A performance as part of Frieze Projects on the Paramount Backlot.
Awards season welcomes a new contender
The fair also hosted the inaugural Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award, which supports upcoming filmmakers in the city. Formed in partnership with Frieze and the award-winning, non-profit film academy Ghetto Film School (GFS), the award offers a unique platform and development programme to a fellowship of 10 emerging filmmakers. The shortlisted ‘fellows’ were presented in the Deutsche Bank Wealth Management Lounge and Pit Stop Café during the fair, and their films were screened in the Paramount Theatre, where the winner was announced in a special ceremony.
The winning film, selected by a jury of leading art and entertainment figures, was ‘Beauty Never Lost’ by Silvia Lara. Lara’s short film was created during a three-month programme at Ghetto Film School with nine other emerging film-makers. The two-and-a-half-minute picture encompasses a series of vignettes depicting a heightened reality that capture the essence of life in Whittier, California through the perspective of its residents.
Silvia Lara, Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award Winner; Mary Findlay, International Curator, Deutsche Bank; Sharese Bullock-Bailey, Chief Strategy and Partnership Officer, Ghetto Film School.
“The Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award is an exciting progression in our partnership with Frieze,” said Mary Findlay, International Curator at Deutsche Bank. “We are thrilled to support emerging filmmakers in partnership with Frieze and the Ghetto Film School. Supporting aspiring artists is a great way for us to have a positive impact.”
“In a city famous for its awards season, we wanted to create something that focused on the fellows and their personal journeys,” said Nicola West, Global Head of Events, Partnerships and Sponsorships at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management. “It has been a privilege to support these young talents and shape what we hope will be a memorable experience for each of them.”
Deutsche Bank is the Global Lead Partner of Frieze Los Angeles 2020. Frieze New York will take place on May 7-10, 2020. For more information, please visit the fair website.
