East Meets West

“People talk about Los Angeles and Beijing as Pacific Rim cities, but there is actually very little cultural interaction between them,” observes Philip Tinari, director of the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. He hopes to change that with The Los Angeles Project, a suite of seven solo shows of work by L.A. art stars Alex Israel (Self-Portraits, 2013), Kathryn Andrews (Umbrella Stand, 2013), and Aaron Curry (Mr Machine Gun Bodymind, 2013). Also in the lineup are Matthew Monahan, Sterling Ruby, Ryan Trecartin, and Kaari Upson (September 13 through November 9). Rather than providing a historical overview, Tinari says, “we consciously focused on seven artists—fewer than a lot, more than a little—who represent a newer generation of art in the city.”