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It’s a strange time for Los Angeles to be hosting an art week. The city is still reeling from the devastation of January’s wildfires, which scorched more than 40,000 acres and displaced over 180,000 people. The destruction affected the entire city, including its art scene: artists, galleries, and institutions alike.

In the immediate aftermath, uncertainty loomed over the city’s major cultural events, with the 2025 edition of Frieze Los Angeles in particular facing mounting pressure over whether to proceed. However, on January 17th, Frieze confirmed that the fair would proceed as planned. “After careful consideration and extensive conversations with galleries, partners, and city-wide stakeholders, we can confirm that the sixth edition of Frieze Los Angeles will go ahead,” read a statement from the fair.

With that decided, the city is now preparing for its regular February fairs, despite the circumstances. Also taking place are the L.A. Art Show, Felix Art Fair, and newcomer Post-Fair, along with a schedule of standout exhibitions that highlight both the city’s thriving art scene and its perseverance. The fires might not be far from visitors’ minds, as some gallery shows, like one at Anat Ebgi, will directly support artists who lost their spaces to the fires.Here are 11 must-see gallery shows during Frieze Los Angeles 2025.

Woody de Othello, “Tuning the Dial”

Karma

Feb. 19–Apr. 5

Woody de Othello, Sound Mind, 2024. Courtesy of Karma and the artist.

Woody de Othello breathes life into everyday objects, often transforming phones and clocks into anthropomorphized ceramic and bronze sculptures. Based in Oakland, California, Othello has said of his transformative practice: “I choose objects that are already very human.” For his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles, “Tuning the Dial” at Karma, Othello narrows in on our relationship with sonic technology, endowing items like boomboxes and horns with distinctly human characteristics.

Three bronze sculptures, accompanied by an ambient soundscape by Oakland-based musician Cheflee, welcome guests to the show. These include Inner Knowing (2025), a totemic assembly of interwoven appendages topped with an open palm and a listening ear. In the adjacent space, visitors encounter a series of glazed ceramic sculptures perched on platforms evocative of African drums. Also included is Drum and Base (2024), a ceramic boombox whose self-referential title highlights the connection between its sculptural foundation and the music genre that inspired it.