Hauser Wirth & Schimmel

If you follow the art blogs you couldn’t have missed the announcement around the new 10,000 square foot Hauser Wirth & Schimmel gallery that recently opened in downtown LA.  HWS has galleries around the globe including two in New York, Zurich, Somerset and London.

They opened this new space with an installation called Revolution in the Making highlighting abstract sculpture by women from 1947-2016.  An appropriate name for the space.  They might be a gallery but the installation and size is more like a museum following (or perhaps they were the leaders in the other cities) in the footsteps of other top art galleries who represent mature contemporary artists.

No pictures were allowed which is slightly comical since I had seen the entire exhibit on the web before going.  Made me want to go more….don’t they realize that?  We loved the work above of Lee Bontecou.  Favorite room was the South Gallery with works from Ruth Asawa (also saw last weekend at the Hammer), Louise Bourgeois, Claire Falkenstein and Louise Nevelson.

There is a huge courtyard in the middle of the galleries with ample seating for sitting, eating or drinking.  The restaurant Manuela hugs the space and is yet to open.

There is also a public garden with a mural by Else Oner and I believe a food truck.

The East Gallery hung fabric sculptures from the ceiling with work from Phyllida Barlow, Karla Black, Abigail DeVille, Sonia Gomes, Rachel Khedoori, Lara Schnitger, Jessica Stockholder and Kaari Upson.

Then the North Galleries (B and A) with work fro Magdalena Abakanowicz, Lynda Benglis, Heidi Bucher, Gego, Francoise Grossen, Eva Hesse, Sheila Hicks, Yayoi Kusama, Mira Schendel, Michelle Stuart, Hannah Wilke, Jackie Winsor, Isa Genzken, Cristina Iglesias, Liz Larner, Anna Maria Maiolino, Marisa, Merz, Senga Nengudi, Lygia Paper and Ursula von Rydingsvard.

The art book store has an incredible selection of books.  The street is not that crowded, yet.  You can see the beginnings of projects in the works from commercial to residential.  Downtown LA will be a completely changed place in a decade with the start of a rail this May.

We did manage to have a flat white from Blacktop coffee where there are seats outside and a small store filled with a bunch of different things.

The menu is classic LA…and no cash, only credit/debit cards.  A revolution in the making.