Beyond the Script: Exploring Contemporary Identity at LA Art Show

LA Art Show, one of the most comprehensive international contemporary art exhibitions in the United States, wrapped up its 31st edition this year. The 2026 fair introduced several notable developments, including an invitation-only Latin American Pavilion and the continued expansion of the DIVERSEartLA program. Among the most distinctive presentations was Off Script by JS Gallery from Greece.

The project brought together ten female immigrant artists, each offering a perspective on artistic practice defined by their experience of cultural transition.

In this interview, we discuss the curatorial framework behind Off Script, the role of immigrant identity in contemporary art, and the evolving relationship between concept and market with Julia Sysalova, founder of JS Gallery, curator of the project, and cofounder of 300Mag.

Before we move on to discuss Off Script,  I’d like to ask how you would describe JS Gallery’s curatorial philosophy. I imagine the concept of the show stems directly from it.

Our gallery is not only a platform for promoting our artists, but it is also an extension of my curatorial practice. We never participate in an art fair simply to “showcase works.” There is always a conceptual foundation behind our shows.

I also see this as part of a broader shift in today’s art market, which increasingly opens toward meaning. Today’s market tends to follow ideas and narratives, and curatorial concepts are not only welcomed, they are becoming essential. In this regard, our approach reflects both a personal stance and a larger tendency within the industry.

How did the concept for Off Script come about? Why did you choose it? 

Los Angeles is a city of Hollywood, where everything is built on scripts and narratives. In a way, any art fair also offers a kind of “script” you are expected to follow. But our gallery is based on an idea that falls out of conventional formats. We are a Greek gallery representing international artists. 

Off Script emphasizes this quality and reflects our broader philosophy of constantly challenging expectations — not rebellion for its own sake, but a subtle disruption of established patterns.

Our artists range from emerging to mid-career, and almost all of them are immigrants. I am an immigrant curator myself. There is something powerful in that shared experience. When you find yourself in a new environment, you either try to fit into existing structures or you begin to construct your own and speak in your own voice.

So I invited artists to propose works that, in their view, did not conform to conventional templates, pieces that truly felt “off script.” My intention was to create a conceptual framework that would encourage them to articulate their own voices. For me, that is where the real creative energy lies.

A work by Alina Altukhova at LA Art Show 2026

What key themes emerged from Off Script, and how were they reflected in the works of specific artists presented at the fair?

While preparing the show and working closely with the artists, I noticed three recurring themes: reinterpretations of American cultural codes, the frontier as a metaphor, and the exploration of inner landscapes.

For instance, a mixed media work by Oxana Akopov — a canvas featuring the embroidered words 100% Made in USA — questions what “made in the USA” really means in a country built by immigrants.

Alina Altukhova engages American mass culture more directly, referencing Breakfast at Tiffany’s and working with the notion of camp. Through a pop-inflected visual language, she examines the tension between price and value.

Another strong thread is the idea of the “inner landscape.” Alena Rezanova’s Dreamscape paintings explore psychological states through bold, almost acidic color, while Olga Horne takes a more contemplative approach, drawing on philosophical reflection and introspection. Irina Metz, through references to German Romanticism, also constructs deeply internal, emotional landscapes.

Some artists engage cultural archetypes more explicitly. Veera Romanoff explores the cowboy and the myth of the American frontier, while Lidia Yablonskaya juxtaposes the American and Belarusian bull, creating a dialogue between two cultural identities.

A work by Oxana Akopov at LA Art Show 2026

One of the highlights of your show was Robert Vargas’s spontaneous live painting at the booth. What did it mean for the project?

It was completely unplanned, and that’s exactly why it felt so in tune with our concept. Robert immediately loved the idea of Off Script, and his reaction really confirmed that the concept resonated beyond our own circle.

During the fair, he painted portraits directly onto visitors’ clothing. On the final day, he signed garments for everyone at our booth, including my jacket, which I kept. We brought these pieces back with us. Since Robert also has a mural in Athens, I’m planning to photograph myself wearing that jacket in front of his street work there, as a kind of continuation of that “off script” moment.

You mentioned that you primarily work with emerging and mid-career artists. How do artists become part of JS Gallery, and how does the selection process work?

The gallery is part of a larger structure, the Institute of Mediterranean Culture, which also includes our educational platform for artists. In that sense, it was created specifically to support the school’s alumni, giving them opportunities to participate in projects, fairs, and international initiatives.

In many cases, projects are initiated by groups of alumni themselves, sometimes without my direct involvement. I oversee and support the process, of course, but often these are artist-led initiatives operating under the gallery’s umbrella.

Beyond sales, the gallery carries out substantial curatorial work. In some ways, it functions almost like an online residency: projects are developed within this framework, refined collaboratively, and then presented or submitted to external platforms. Ultimately, the gallery serves as a professional instrument for advancing our graduates’ artistic careers.

Your school teaches artists how to position and promote themselves within the art world. How do you approach that in practice?

The primary mission of our school is the cultural adaptation of immigrants through the arts. We work mainly in Europe and the United States, helping creatives from the post-Soviet space integrate professionally into the Western art world.

We focus on visual arts, working with artists, photographers, designers, architects, jewelers, and other creatives who want to reposition themselves within contemporary art. Often, they are already established professionals, but they come to rethink their practice and learn to approach their work from the perspective of a contemporary artist.

A work by Veera Romanoff at LA Art Show 2026

What have been some of the gallery’s most significant recent projects, and what upcoming initiatives are you particularly looking forward to?

We’ve been actively involved in international projects, first as a curatorial initiative, and over the past two years officially as a gallery. One important venue for us has been Platforms Project in Athens, an independent contemporary art fair held each autumn in a major historic exhibition space. We’ve participated there as a gallery for two consecutive years, giving our artists the opportunity to test new ideas and present their work in a strong professional context.

Another major milestone was our digital project Code Error. Through this project, we participated in The Wrong Biennale, one of the largest digital art biennials globally. Recently, it also opened in a physical “embassy” format in Los Angeles, meaning a gallery space is hosting and presenting our digital works onsite. With Code Error, we were also part of Art With Me in Miami during Art Basel week, as an official off-site event affiliated with Art Basel.

Looking ahead, we will be participating in the Personal Structures biennial, organized by the European Cultural Centre Italy (ECC Italy) and running concurrently with the Venice Biennale. Our project, titled Cross Lines: Unlocked Identities, will be presented at Palazzo Bembo. The concept explores how identity today is shaped through interaction, how it unfolds through dialogue and cross-cultural exchange.

For us, these projects are not just exhibitions; they’re a natural continuation of the school’s mission, giving our students the opportunity to step onto major international stages.