Whether it’s the mind-bending installations in a neighboring desert, the expansive retrospectives honoring late artists or the epically-scaled events that blur the line between reality and fantasy, there’s no denying that Los Angeles has a thriving cultural scene. It offers thought-provoking creativity in every shape and form imaginable. But while there are tons of world-class galleries to lose yourself in all year round, a few art experiences are only stopping by for a limited time. Here are 10 of the best exhibitions in Los Angeles you simply cannot miss:
1. Keith Haring: Art Is For Everybody at The Broad
The Broad marks itself as the first-ever museum to present Keith Haring’s body of work in Los Angeles with their newly unveiled exhibition. With over 120 original artworks and archival materials, Keith Haring: Art Is For Everybody explores the artist’s personal life and artistic practice. Divided into 10 distinct galleries, the exhibition features videos, sculptures, drawings, paintings, graphic works, personal journals and representations from Haring’s iconic subway drawings and public murals.
The expansive exhibition touches on core themes from the artist’s work: from environmentalism, capitalism and technology to religion, sexuality, race and the HIV/AIDS crisis that he dedicated the last years of his life to.
⭐️ Pro-tip: Admission is free on Thursdays with RSVP here.
🎟 Tickets: Grab them here!
🗓 When: May 27 through Oct 8, 2023
📍 Location: The Broad, 221 S. Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012
2. Astra Lumina: A Night Walk Amongst The Stars
Come nightfall, celestial energy will be lighting up South Coast Botanic Garden to guide curious wanderers on this enchanted night walk. Intrepid explorers will journey through the lush gardens as they immerse themselves in stunning projections and dazzling light shows that also feature music. The multisensory immersive experience is suitable for all ages, and purchasing the Celestial Package will get you a complimentary double-walled vacuum-sealed Astra Lumina Tumbler as well as a beverage of your choice to enjoy on your walk.
🎟 Get your tickets to Astra Lumina: A Night Walk Amongst The Stars here.
📍South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Estates
3. Thomas J. Price Beyond Measure at Hauser & Wirth
This larger-than-life exhibition at Hauser & Wirth in the Arts District is the first comprehensive solo exhibition in the United States for the British artist Thomas J. Price. With his towering bronze sculptures filling the space, Price silently urges the viewers to contemplate the power of visibility and what it means to be a body that occupies space in today’s world.
In the words of the gallery, “Price never casts his figurative works at a one-to-one scale, stating that the size variations foster an interplay with silently coded monuments that permeate society, prompting us to reconsider who should exist in that form.”
🎟 Tickets: Free, no advance booking necessary
🗓 When: Now through August 20, 2023
📍 Location: 901 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
4. Bubble World: An Immersive Experience – Los Angeles
Bubble World is an immersive experience spread out across 10 different rooms that take on a variety of fun themes, from the ocean floor to desert lands. Dive into ball pits, travel through fabulous landscapes designed to stimulate the senses and challenge your imagination using cutting-edge VR technology. You can expect giant balloons to join you on your quest through these fun-filled installations and of course, lots and lots of bubbles.
🎟 Get your tickets for Bubble World: An Immersive Experience – Los Angeles here!
📍1345 N. Montebello Boulevard, Montebello, California
5. Alberta Whittle: between a whisper and a cry at ICA LA
Alberta Whittle’s first exhibition in Los Angeles is a visceral multimedia installation that speaks to the ever-lasting effects colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade and the current climate crisis. Originally from Barbados, Whittle channels her diasporic lineage to her artwork and urges her audience to feel the histories and scarred carried within their own bodies. between a whisper and a cry is a powerful portal that offers a channel for introspection, healing, release and connection to a more liberated future.
🎟 Tickets: Free and open to the public
🗓 When: Now through September 10
📍 Location: 1717 E 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
6. Helen Cammock: I Will Keep My Soul at Art + Practice (A+P)
Helen Cammock: I Will Keep My Soul is the very first exhibition in the United States for the award-winning British artist Helen Cammock. In this poignant exhibition, Cammock seamlessly weaves together film, poetry, performance, archival documents and books about New Orleans to express her own observations and encounters in the city, alongside the city’s own rich history.
Cammock brings an outsider’s perspective to New Orleans while simultaneously finding a deep sense of belonging and familiarity with the culture and history. This exhibition masterfully touches on the malleability and mirroring of time, as past and present fluidly meld in a moment of deep resonance.
🎟 Tickets: Free and open to the public
🗓 When: Now through August 5, 2023
📍 Location: 3401 W 43rd Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90008
7. Carl Craig: Party/After-Party at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
Immerse yourself in a visually stimulating and sonically rich experience at Carl Craig’s Party/After-Party exhibition at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. The Detroit-based techno DJ and producer has transformed the gallery space into a pulsing, mesmerizing night club — but it’s all curated and crafted from the distinct lens of the DJ.
Reminiscent of Berlin’s notorious Berghain, Party/After-Party immediately envelops you in a lush and throbbing soundscape which honors the Black pioneers of techno and electronic music. Don’t hold back if your body pleads you to dance — the visceral is made sacred at this experimental and enrapturing exhibition.
ℹ️ Important info: Please be advised that Party/After-Party features low lighting and strobe effects
🎟 Tickets: Free, reservations required
🗓 When: April 16 – July 23, 2023
📍 Location: 152 North Central Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012
8. Becoming Van Leo the Hammer Museum
Becoming Van Leo is the very first international exhibition of work by the late Armenian Egyptian photographer Van Leo (born Levon Boyadjian). Born in Turkey and raised in Cairo, Van Leo became one of the most celebrated studio photographers in the Arab world from the 1940s to the 1960s. This compelling and deeply personal exhibition details his career from his very first photographs from the 1930s to his polished studio work from the 1990s. More than just a retrospective of his photographic work, this exhibition is an illustration of a diasporic life and the intersections between art, identity, place and time.
🎟 Tickets: Free, no reservations required
🗓 When: Now through November 5, 2023
📍 Location: 10899 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024
9. Flutter on La Brea
Explore, play and adventure at flutter, the top-rated multi-sensory art experience in America. This light-hearted, interactive exhibit in Los Angeles was developed to help you find your inner artist and unleash your imagination. It’s a fun, visceral wonderland created by 14 curated artists with a focus on mental health. It’s the escape we’ve been asking for and as well as leaving you in a state of pure bliss, a portion of the tickets go towards Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. Find out more here.
🎟 Tickets: Book your tickets here
🗓 When: Now through September 2023
📍 Location: 217 S La Brea, Los Angeles, CA 90036
10. World of Barbie Experience in Santa Monica
The wonderfully nostalgic World of Babrie experience has been such a hit with Angelenos that it has extended its run through the summer! Walk through her Dreamhouse, sit in the driver’s seat of the Camper Van, mix some music at the Barbie Music Studio, and even create your own doll! Whether you’re a lifelong fan or introducing Barbie to the next generation, this is the perfect way to dive in. Learn more and get your tickets here!
🎟 Tickets: Book your tickets here
🗓 When: Now through September 2023
📍 Location: 395 Santa Monica Pl, Santa Monica, CA 90401