Featured Events in Los Angeles in May, 2025 (May Updated)

Artists in the Romantic period found endless inspiration in the beauty and power of nature. This exhibition highlights how these artists depicted the landscape, from detailed botanical studies to vast vistas. Important Romantic motifs are explored, including the melancholic appeal of ruins and the threat of destructive natural forces. Drawing upon the strengths of the Getty collection, the exhibition features works by important figures in the movement including Caspar David Friedrich, J.M.W Turner, and Théodore Géricault.

David Hammons has been exploring the complexity of American identity from the perspective of a black artist living in New York since the 1960s, including its history, manifestations, and possibilities. Hammons's awareness of equal rights was awakened when he was studying at Otis Art Institute, and he was influenced by internationally renowned African American artists such as Charles White, Bruce Nauman, and John Baldessari. After settling in New York in the 1970s, he turned to minimalist and post-minimalist art, and many of his works reflect his implementation of the spirit of the civil rights movement and the black human rights movement. Hammons' iconic work "Black and Blue Concerto" is exhibited at Hauser & Wirth Gallery's Los Angeles space. This is the second appearance of this work since its first exhibition in 2002. Just like the scene at Ace Gallery 20 years ago, the audience is invited to enter a dark space with only a tiny blue flashlight. That exhibition is also the artist's first exhibition in New York in more than a decade.

Carpenters Workshop Gallery Los Angeles presents an exhibition celebrating the prolific career of the late architect, sculptor and designer José Zanine Caldas, whose sculptural style and commitment to ecological awareness made him a leading figure in Brazilian modernism. Raw and sensual in character, the works combine modern elegance with an environmental consciousness that was avant-garde for this radical creator’s time.

David Hammons has been exploring the complexity of American identity from the perspective of a black artist living in New York since the 1960s, including its history, manifestations, and possibilities. Hammons's awareness of equal rights was awakened when he was studying at Otis Art Institute, and he was influenced by internationally renowned African American artists such as Charles White, Bruce Nauman, and John Baldessari. After settling in New York in the 1970s, he turned to minimalist and post-minimalist art, and many of his works reflect his implementation of the spirit of the civil rights movement and the black human rights movement. Hammons' iconic work "Black and Blue Concerto" is exhibited at Hauser & Wirth Gallery's Los Angeles space. This is the second appearance of this work since its first exhibition in 2002. Just like the scene at Ace Gallery 20 years ago, the audience is invited to enter a dark space with only a tiny blue flashlight. That exhibition is also the artist's first exhibition in New York in more than a decade.

This February, Hauser & Wirth Downtown Los Angeles hosts ‘The Bleed, Part II,’ British artist George Rouy’s first US solo exhibition with the gallery. Following upon Rouy’s recent London presentation, this ‘second chapter’ will feature all new works extending his exploration of human mass, multiplicity and movement. In works characterized by a distinctive dynamism, Rouy captures essential experiences of contemporary life—desire and vexation, the urge to connect frustrated by alienation—to address emotional extremities in a globalized, technologically-driven age.

This February, Hauser & Wirth Downtown Los Angeles hosts ‘The Bleed, Part II,’ British artist George Rouy’s first US solo exhibition with the gallery. Following upon Rouy’s recent London presentation, this ‘second chapter’ will feature all new works extending his exploration of human mass, multiplicity and movement. In works characterized by a distinctive dynamism, Rouy captures essential experiences of contemporary life—desire and vexation, the urge to connect frustrated by alienation—to address emotional extremities in a globalized, technologically-driven age.

Carpenters Workshop Gallery Los Angeles presents an exhibition celebrating the prolific career of the late architect, sculptor and designer José Zanine Caldas, whose sculptural style and commitment to ecological awareness made him a leading figure in Brazilian modernism. Raw and sensual in character, the works combine modern elegance with an environmental consciousness that was avant-garde for this radical creator’s time.

Carpenters Workshop Gallery Los Angeles presents an exhibition celebrating the prolific career of the late architect, sculptor and designer José Zanine Caldas, whose sculptural style and commitment to ecological awareness made him a leading figure in Brazilian modernism. Raw and sensual in character, the works combine modern elegance with an environmental consciousness that was avant-garde for this radical creator’s time.

Artists in the Romantic period found endless inspiration in the beauty and power of nature. This exhibition highlights how these artists depicted the landscape, from detailed botanical studies to vast vistas. Important Romantic motifs are explored, including the melancholic appeal of ruins and the threat of destructive natural forces. Drawing upon the strengths of the Getty collection, the exhibition features works by important figures in the movement including Caspar David Friedrich, J.M.W Turner, and Théodore Géricault.

David Hammons has been exploring the complexity of American identity from the perspective of a black artist living in New York since the 1960s, including its history, manifestations, and possibilities. Hammons's awareness of equal rights was awakened when he was studying at Otis Art Institute, and he was influenced by internationally renowned African American artists such as Charles White, Bruce Nauman, and John Baldessari. After settling in New York in the 1970s, he turned to minimalist and post-minimalist art, and many of his works reflect his implementation of the spirit of the civil rights movement and the black human rights movement. Hammons' iconic work "Black and Blue Concerto" is exhibited at Hauser & Wirth Gallery's Los Angeles space. This is the second appearance of this work since its first exhibition in 2002. Just like the scene at Ace Gallery 20 years ago, the audience is invited to enter a dark space with only a tiny blue flashlight. That exhibition is also the artist's first exhibition in New York in more than a decade.

Charles Gaines, an 80-year-old artist and educator from Los Angeles, is widely acclaimed for his contributions to the development of conceptual art and the formation of the Los Angeles art scene. This exhibition, the artist's first solo exhibition in Los Angeles since 2019, will present a series of new acrylics and watercolors as an elaboration of his iconic series "Numbers and Trees". Trees have been central to Gaines's work since the mid-1970s. He first painted trees through a numbered grid system in the "Walnut Orchard" series. This methodological experimentation continued in the "Numbers and Trees" series, which began in 1987, hinting at the arbitrariness of other manufactured systems in our society - such as politics, gender, race and class.

Charles Gaines, an 80-year-old artist and educator from Los Angeles, is widely acclaimed for his contributions to the development of conceptual art and the formation of the Los Angeles art scene. This exhibition, the artist's first solo exhibition in Los Angeles since 2019, will present a series of new acrylics and watercolors as an elaboration of his iconic series "Numbers and Trees". Trees have been central to Gaines's work since the mid-1970s. He first painted trees through a numbered grid system in the "Walnut Orchard" series. This methodological experimentation continued in the "Numbers and Trees" series, which began in 1987, hinting at the arbitrariness of other manufactured systems in our society - such as politics, gender, race and class.

Charles Gaines, an 80-year-old artist and educator from Los Angeles, is widely acclaimed for his contributions to the development of conceptual art and the formation of the Los Angeles art scene. This exhibition, the artist's first solo exhibition in Los Angeles since 2019, will present a series of new acrylics and watercolors as an elaboration of his iconic series "Numbers and Trees". Trees have been central to Gaines's work since the mid-1970s. He first painted trees through a numbered grid system in the "Walnut Orchard" series. This methodological experimentation continued in the "Numbers and Trees" series, which began in 1987, hinting at the arbitrariness of other manufactured systems in our society - such as politics, gender, race and class.

Charles Gaines, an 80-year-old artist and educator from Los Angeles, is widely acclaimed for his contributions to the development of conceptual art and the formation of the Los Angeles art scene. This exhibition, the artist's first solo exhibition in Los Angeles since 2019, will present a series of new acrylics and watercolors as an elaboration of his iconic series "Numbers and Trees". Trees have been central to Gaines's work since the mid-1970s. He first painted trees through a numbered grid system in the "Walnut Orchard" series. This methodological experimentation continued in the "Numbers and Trees" series, which began in 1987, hinting at the arbitrariness of other manufactured systems in our society - such as politics, gender, race and class.

French painter Gustave Caillebotte’s interest in male subjects sharply distinguishes him from his Impressionist peers. Overwhelmingly, he observed and depicted the men in his life—including his brothers, bachelor friends, fellow sportsmen, and the workers and bourgeois of his neighborhood—and did so in bracingly original paintings that often subverted artistic and gender norms. His distinctive vision of modern masculinity is considered here for the first time in a major international loan exhibition.

French painter Gustave Caillebotte’s interest in male subjects sharply distinguishes him from his Impressionist peers. Overwhelmingly, he observed and depicted the men in his life—including his brothers, bachelor friends, fellow sportsmen, and the workers and bourgeois of his neighborhood—and did so in bracingly original paintings that often subverted artistic and gender norms. His distinctive vision of modern masculinity is considered here for the first time in a major international loan exhibition.

French painter Gustave Caillebotte’s interest in male subjects sharply distinguishes him from his Impressionist peers. Overwhelmingly, he observed and depicted the men in his life—including his brothers, bachelor friends, fellow sportsmen, and the workers and bourgeois of his neighborhood—and did so in bracingly original paintings that often subverted artistic and gender norms. His distinctive vision of modern masculinity is considered here for the first time in a major international loan exhibition.

Diary of Flowers: Artists and their Worlds brings together over 80 artworks from MOCA’s renowned collection, demonstrating how artists create their own worlds through their art–building networks, circles, and mythologies. Embracing the boundaries between the personal and the social, public and private lives, as well as emotional and psychological states, works in the show privilege sites of creativity and the place of the imagination to conjure new worlds and possibilities. Friendship, love, and intimacy become important starting points for artistic expression. The exhibition features work in all media across different geographies, cultures, and periods, by artists including Belkis Ayón, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Mona Hatoum, Candice Lin, Annette Messeger, Wangechi Mutu, Lucas Samaras, Mohammed Sami, Tunga, and Haegue Yang, as well as a gallery dedicated to Nan Goldin.

Wonder takes flight at the Museum! Walk among beautiful butterflies in our seasonal Butterfly Pavilion. This springtime exhibition features hundreds of butterflies, colorful native plants, and plenty of natural light to help you see these creatures shimmer. With lots of flight space and a variety of resting spots, come get one of the best views in Los Angeles of these amazing insects.

Wonder takes flight at the Museum! Walk among beautiful butterflies in our seasonal Butterfly Pavilion. This springtime exhibition features hundreds of butterflies, colorful native plants, and plenty of natural light to help you see these creatures shimmer. With lots of flight space and a variety of resting spots, come get one of the best views in Los Angeles of these amazing insects.

Roberts Projects presents R.A..D…I..O., an exhibition by Brenna Youngblood and the artist’s second solo presentation with the gallery. Featuring nine new paintings alongside a freestanding sculpture and earlier works in assemblage and photography, R.A..D…I..O. demonstrates the breadth of Youngblood’s investigations into the complexities of American material culture. By incorporating mass-produced kitsch and objects of everyday use into her compositions, Youngblood reveals how specific registers of visual communication can be disrupted and broken down before being reconstituted into something altogether new.

Roberts Projects presents R.A..D…I..O., an exhibition by Brenna Youngblood and the artist’s second solo presentation with the gallery. Featuring nine new paintings alongside a freestanding sculpture and earlier works in assemblage and photography, R.A..D…I..O. demonstrates the breadth of Youngblood’s investigations into the complexities of American material culture. By incorporating mass-produced kitsch and objects of everyday use into her compositions, Youngblood reveals how specific registers of visual communication can be disrupted and broken down before being reconstituted into something altogether new.

Roberts Projects presents R.A..D…I..O., an exhibition by Brenna Youngblood and the artist’s second solo presentation with the gallery. Featuring nine new paintings alongside a freestanding sculpture and earlier works in assemblage and photography, R.A..D…I..O. demonstrates the breadth of Youngblood’s investigations into the complexities of American material culture. By incorporating mass-produced kitsch and objects of everyday use into her compositions, Youngblood reveals how specific registers of visual communication can be disrupted and broken down before being reconstituted into something altogether new.

Robert Irwin was a leading figure in “Light and Space,” and this retrospective focuses on Irwin’s works created between 1960 and 1971—the first exhibition of his works organized by Pace since the artist’s death in 2023, and the first exhibition of his posthumous works in California.

Robert Irwin was a leading figure in “Light and Space,” and this retrospective focuses on Irwin’s works created between 1960 and 1971—the first exhibition of his works organized by Pace since the artist’s death in 2023, and the first exhibition of his posthumous works in California.

The Southern California Renaissance Joy Festival is a major event in Los Angeles in the spring. It will be held every Saturday and Sunday at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area from April 5 to May 18, 2025. As the oldest Renaissance-themed celebration in the United States, the event provides an immersive experience that makes visitors feel as if they are in 16th century England. The festival has 13 stages and more than 40 performances throughout the day, including music, dance, comedy, and knightly jousting. The market has unique handicrafts, traditional games, and food and wine, which are unforgettable. There are also different themes every weekend, such as "Pirate Weekend" and "Fantasy World Weekend", and visitors are encouraged to wear Renaissance costumes to participate.

Robert Irwin was a leading figure in “Light and Space,” and this retrospective focuses on Irwin’s works created between 1960 and 1971—the first exhibition of his works organized by Pace since the artist’s death in 2023, and the first exhibition of his posthumous works in California.

This pop-up reading room surveys a global history of photobooks by women photographers from the Getty Library. As part of an international series showcasing the 10×10 Photobooks' catalog What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843–1999, it offers an inclusive revision and remapping of the photobook canon. It is complemented by notable photobooks by Southern California women artists after 2000, including Uta Barth, Kristin Bedford, Lauren Bon, Kaucyila Brooke, Jo Ann Callis, Elena Dorfman, Christina Fernandez, Rose-Lynn Fisher, Judy Fiskin, Jona Frank, Lauren Greenfield, Soo Kim, Mona Kuhn, Diana Markosian, Melodie McDaniel, Catherine Opie, Sheila Pinkel, Alex Prager, Randi Malkin Steinberger, and Deanna Templeton.

This pop-up reading room surveys a global history of photobooks by women photographers from the Getty Library. As part of an international series showcasing the 10×10 Photobooks' catalog What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843–1999, it offers an inclusive revision and remapping of the photobook canon. It is complemented by notable photobooks by Southern California women artists after 2000, including Uta Barth, Kristin Bedford, Lauren Bon, Kaucyila Brooke, Jo Ann Callis, Elena Dorfman, Christina Fernandez, Rose-Lynn Fisher, Judy Fiskin, Jona Frank, Lauren Greenfield, Soo Kim, Mona Kuhn, Diana Markosian, Melodie McDaniel, Catherine Opie, Sheila Pinkel, Alex Prager, Randi Malkin Steinberger, and Deanna Templeton.

Perrotin is pleased to announce its global representation of the Estate of Young-Il Ahn. In conjunction with the announcement, Perrotin Los Angeles presents Young-Il Ahn: Selected Works 1986–2019, a historical survey of Ahn’s work over three decades.