The LA art world has seen an exceptional year. Even as big-name artists and galleries prevail amid the booming market, previously unrecognized artists are being shown more widely than ever; and sociopolitical issues are driving much of the critical discourse. Of the many 2019 shows I visited, the following remain etched most sharply in my mind. 

Farrah Karapetian, “Collective Memory” 
Von Lintel Gallery

Karapetian based this immersive installation on gallerist Tarrah von Lintel’s fond personal anecdotes about Club Shine, a transgender nightclub that closed in 2017. Frequent patrons’ memories took on intriguing new lives inside the gallery, which transported visitors to a mysterious realm asserting the presence of the transgender community. Awash in otherworldly red light, photograms and interactive sculptural elements evoked haunting dreams of nightlife past.