From 200 Studio Visits to 32 Names
Curator Anne Ellegood on Choosing Artists for the Hammer’s ‘Made in LA’ Biennial
Made in L.A. 2018 is the fourth iteration of the Hammer’s biennial exhibition, continuing to highlight the practices of artists working throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. This year's lineup includes ten alumni from the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, representing more than 25 percent of the artists selected. The exhibition is organized by Hammer curators Anne Ellegood and Erin Christovale. The exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue, as well as a full roster of free public programming. Refer to the UCLA Arts Calendar for the full listing of events and exhibitions at the Hammer Museum and across the School.
"If the current political climate is weighing heavily on LA artists, you might not know if from their disposition. According to Anne Ellegood, co-curator of “Made in LA 2018,” the Hammer Museum’s biennial art show, the mood among the city’s artists these days is surprisingly optimistic—even as much of their work in her upcoming exhibition wrestles with a fraught, unpredictable world.
“To do a biennial right now, we wanted to showcase artists who were grappling with the world that we’re living in right now,” Ellegood told artnet News. “But even while many of them are taking up, in some cases, very heavy subject matter, I feel there’s also this real sense of possibility. There’s a kind of sci-fi, futuristic optimism that’s in the work.”
Now in its fourth edition, “Made in LA” was started in 2012 as a way to highlight the work of the city’s vibrant artistic community. Fast forward six years, and “we see the exhibition not just as arguing for the relevance of LA, because I don’t think that’s an argument that still needs to be made, but rather as putting the spotlight on a really great group of artists, and bringing visibility to their work,” said Ellegood.
To that end, Ellegood and co-curator Erin Christovale made 200 studio visits with local artists over the course of the last year in preparation for the show, in addition to checking out gallery shows and studying up on artists online. The final selection of 32 artists—most of whom will make new pieces for the show—reveals a diverse group, both demographically as well as in the type of work they are making."— Sarah Cascone, Feb. 15, 2018
This post is an excerpt, read the full article at the Artnet News website.
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