Datebook: Ceramic installations, Korean and American minimalism, punk-inspired pieces

Architectural arrangement of ceramics. A group show of artists exploring humble materials from Los Angeles and Mexico City. And another exploring the visual affinities between Korean and American minimalists. Plus: industrial sculpture, explorations of color and meditations on the black figure. Here are nine shows to see this week:

Edmund de Waal, “Ten Thousand Things,” at Gagosian Gallery. Both an artist and an acclaimed novelist, de Waal is a figure whose passion for words feeds his art and vice versa. For his first solo exhibition in L.A., he will present arrangements of objects — including the ceramics he makes — inspired by music, poetry and the architecture of Rudolph Schindler. Through Feb. 18. 456 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, gagosian.com.

“Punk Povera,” at Wuho Gallery. This group exhibition gathers painting, drawing and sculpture from L.A. and Mexico City inspired by a pair of cultural movements: Arte Povera, the Italian art movement that focused on the use of simple materials, and punk, the musical and fashion movement that favored grit over excess. Opens Saturday at 6 p.m. and runs through Feb. 21. 6518 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, wuho.architecture.woodbury.edu.

Artist Derek Fordjour has a new series of paintings on view at Papillion gallery in Leimert Park, including “The Charleston,” from 2015.

(Derek Fordjour / Papillion)

“Derek Fordjour: Eight Paintings” and “Yashua Klos: How to Hide in the Wind,” at Papillion. A pair of new shows at Papillion explore the black figure in unique ways. In a series of new paintings, Fordjour places arrangements of figures against patterned and other carnivalesque backgrounds. Klos, in the meantime, creates elaborate collages that find ways of integrating faces and heads into architectonic elements that appear to float in space. Opens Saturday at 4 p.m. and runs through March 6. 4336 Degnan Blvd., Leimert Park, Los Angeles, papillionart.com.

“Dansaekhwa and Minimalism,” at Blum & Poe. A survey of some 35 works pairs pieces by key American minimalists (Sol LeWitt, Carl Andre, Agnes Martin) with important works from Korea’s Dansaekhwa movement, whose artists (figures such as Lee Ufan and Kwon Young-woo) were renowned for creating monochrome works in imaginative ways. Opens Saturday at 6 p.m. and runs through March 12. 2727 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, blumandpoe.com.

Marcia Hafif, “Glaze Paintings and Works on Paper From the 1970s,” at Marc Selwyn Fine Art. Throughout her career, Hafif has been obsessed with color: the colors of the Pacific Ocean or Roman architecture — hues that she reproduces in paintings and installations that serve as meditations on the subtleties of tone. In her first solo show at Selwyn, Hafif is showing some of the early works — graphite drawings and glaze paintings — that helped shape her practice. Opens Saturday at 6 p.m. and runs through Feb. 20. 9953 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, marcselwynfineart.com.

Marianne Vitale, at Venus. A sculptor known for her weighty pieces is having her West Coast debut show with a pair of installations that will feature 60 tons of steel railroad track and a series of nearly 100 11-foot white pine timbers. Opens Saturday at 5 p.m. and runs through Feb. 27. 601 S. Anderson St., Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, venusovermanhattan.com.

“Ron Jude: Lago,” at Gallery Luisotti. In his fourth solo show at the gallery, Jude explores the landscape of the Salton Sea, the famously polluted body of water, near which the photographer spent some of the formative years of his childhood. Opens Saturday at 6 p.m. and runs through March 12. Bergamot Station, 2525 S. Michigan Ave., Santa Monica, galleryluisotti.com.

“Xara Thustra: Stop Men,” at Last Projects. The San Francisco artist and activist, known for producing work in a wide range of media — graffiti, posters, video, performance and more — is unveiling new paintings and a pair of traveling murals. Opens Saturday at 7 p.m. and runs through Jan. 30. 6546 Hollywood Blvd., #215, Hollywood, alastprojects.org.

“The Contenders” screening series, at the Hammer Museum. The Hammer is rounding out its influential film-screening series, done in collaboration with New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi” screens at 7:30 tonight and will include a conversation with artist and director Peter Sellars. This will be followed early next week by screenings of “Spotlight” and “The Look of Silence.” For screening information, see hammer.ucla.edu/contenders2015. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, hammer.ucla.edu.

FINAL WEEK:

James Turrell, at Kayne Griffin Corcoran. In his latest solo exhibition at Kayne Griffin Corcoran, Turrell debuted a series of large-scale works made from elliptical glass that, over 2 1/2 hours, go through thousands of different parts of the color spectrum. (Just the show for Pantone-heads.) Through Saturday. 1201 S. La Brea Ave., Mid-City, kaynegriffincorcoran.com.

“New Objectivity: Modern German Art in the Weimar Republic,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. A dark and gripping show explores the art of Germany following World War I, before the rise of the Third Reich. Featuring a mix of photography, painting, drawings and ephemera from the era, the exhibition captures the social, political and economic tumult of the Weimar period. Not to be missed. Through Monday. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

Matthew Barney, “River of Fundament,” at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Barney is a video and performance artist known for producing lush works inspired by fantastical mythologies. His latest (which includes an epic six-hour film) reimagines the birth and death cycles of the Egyptian Book of the Dead (or at least Norman Mailer’s take on the Egyptian Book of the Dead). Plenty decadent. Through Monday. The Geffen Contemporary, 152 N. Central Ave., downtown, moca.org.

“Mapping the Information Age,” at Christopher Mount Gallery. During the infancy of microprocessing, companies such as Intel, IBM and Hewlett-Packard would create colorful prints that were used as maps for constructing early microchip technology. Not intended to be art, these curious technological artifacts (dating to 1990) offer a range of intriguing abstract geometric patterns — of the sort that would no doubt impress the likes of Piet Mondrian. Through Wednesday. Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, christopherwmountgallery.com.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

“Spiritual Language,” at TAG Gallery. Roughly 40 artists, including Fabian Debora, Alex Kizu and Juan Carlos Munoz Hernandez, have contributed works to this group show, which will serve as a benefit for Homeboy Industries. Proceeds from the sales of the works will go to the organization; the gallery also is accepting donation of art supplies to help support Homeboy’s art-related programs. Through Jan. 23. 2525 Michigan Ave., D3, Santa Monica, taggallery.net.

“The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris,” at the Hammer Museum. Known for his elegant depictions of frigid Canadian landscapes, Harris was part of the Group of Seven, a group of painters who were proponents for establishing a distinctly Canadian school of painting — in Harris’ case, one with distinctly Modernist overtones. His sparse landscapes, depicted in stained-glass hues of blue, white and green, often with exalted rays of light descending from the heavens, have practically religious overtones. Through Jan. 24. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, hammer.ucla.edu.

“Uh-Oh: Frances Stark, 1991-2015,” at the Hammer Museum. This is a survey of work by L.A.-based artist Frances Stark, whose wide-ranging practice — she’s done everything from carbon drawings to elaborate digital animations — covers a similarly broad terrain of subjects, including critiques of institutions and intimate views of the artist’s personal life including animated productions of private online chats. Through Jan. 24. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, hammer.ucla.edu.

“Giant Robot Biennale 4,” at the Japanese American National Museum. Giant Robot — the shop and gallery — has long focused on Asian and Asian American popular culture, showcasing works and decorative merchandise by figures such as Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami. Since 2007, founder Eric Nakamura has partnered with the Japanese American National Museum for this biennial, which showcases pop-infused works by an array of young artists. Through Jan. 24. 100 N. Central Ave., downtown Los Angeles, janm.org.

David Korty, at Night Gallery. The Los Angeles-based painter’s latest series, titled “Figure Construction,” begins with the color blue. He uses the same inky backdrop on works that contain layered blocks of painted text, drawings and pattern fragments, which cohere into abstracted human figures. The show also includes a number of the artist’s geometrically inspired ceramic works. Through Jan. 30. 2276 E. 16th St., downtown, nightgallery.ca.

“Somewhere Over El Arco Iris: Chicano Landscapes, 1971-2015,” at the Museum of Latin American Art. Guest curator Julian Bermudez has gathered 25 works that tell a story of landscape through the works of Chicano artists over more than four decades. This includes classic pieces by noted California figures such as Gronk, Frank Romero, Patssi Valdez and Carlos Almaraz. But it also includes up-and-comers such as Shizu Saldamando and Jaime “Germs” Zacarías. Extended through Jan. 31. 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach, molaa.org.

“Hannelore Baron: Collage & Assemblage,” at Jack Rutberg Fine Art. Taut works of assemblage and collage take their power from the found materials the artist used: bits of fabric and other gewgaws found in thrift stores and junkyards, charged objects that retain the sense of having once served other purposes. Born in Germany (her family fled the country in the wake of Kristallnacht), Baron was part of New York’s artistic milieu at mid-century, but her pieces, which feel faded and worn, suggest the claustrophobia of isolation and confinement. Extended through Jan. 30. 357 N. La Brea Ave., Fairfax, jackrutbergfinearts.com.

Stas Orlovski, “Skazka,” at Young Projects Gallery. The L.A.-based Orlovski is known for his haunting stop-motion animations that employ bits of vintage children’s books and Victorian drawings. This new work, which features a soundtrack by experimental audio artist Steve Roden, is inspired by 19th century magic-lantern performances and includes a stage-set and larger-than-life projections onto silhouettes. Through Feb. 5. Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave., Space B230, West Hollywood, youngprojectsgallery.com.

Kori Newkirk, at Roberts & Tilton. Known for creating sculptural pieces out of synthetic hair and pony beads, the Los Angeles-based artist is now taking on the idea of the circle in myriad ways, including a series of sculptures crafted from found bicycle wheels. Through Feb. 6. 5801 Washington Blvd., Culver City, robertsandtilton.com.

Rafaël Rozendaal, “Abstract Browsing,” at Steve Turner. A series of Jacquard woven tapestries explores the architecture of the Internet, a subject that has long-fascinated this Dutch-born artist. He is also presenting a series of wall works inspired by haiku. Through Feb. 6. 6830 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, steveturner.la.

Steven Hull, “Never Again Sharpen Your Teeth on the Rope That Holds You Safely to Shore,” at Rosamund Felsen Gallery. The Los Angeles artist, known for the dexterous ways in which he combines painting and sculpture to create theatrical installations, has put together a show inspired partly by seaside carnival, partly by an ocean voyage. The exhibition — his 11th at Rosamund Felsen — includes paintings, large-scale wood sculptures and oil paint transfers. Through Feb. 6. 1923 S. Santa Fe Ave., downtown Los Angeles, rosamundfelsen.com.

“Various Small Fires (Working Documents)” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. A show that illuminates unusual bits of LACMA history, such as the plan to have a robot patrol the galleries or the time a dog worked as a security guard. Included in the mix is Ed Ruscha’s working sketch for his infamous mid-’60s canvas “The Los Angeles County Museum on Fire.” Through Feb. 7. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

“Minoru Ohira: Iki and Yabo,” at Offramp Gallery. “Iki” in Japanese means chic; “yabo,” unrefined. In this exhibition, the Japanese sculptor examines the fine line between the two concepts in a series of largely wooden sculptures that evoke and deconstruct elements of architecture. Through Feb. 7. 1702 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena, offrampgallery.com.

Victor Hugo Zayas, at the Museum of Latin American Art. Gritty abstractions the color of charcoal, acid and steel capture the industrial innards of Los Angeles. Zayas, a painter who maintains a studio on the banks of the L.A. River, will have a survey of more than 40 works on view at the museum — works that chart the evolution of the city’s industrial landscape. Through Feb. 7. 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach, molaa.org.

Toba Khedoori, at Regen Projects. In her fourth show at the gallery, the L.A.-based artist, known for her detailed renderings of plants, architecture and other objects, takes to canvas as well. Her pieces reveal aching detail that, at moments, teeters into abstraction — creating images that are more than mere representation. Through Feb. 13. 6750 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, regenprojects.com.

“Customizing Language,” at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. Organized by guest curators Idurre Alonso and Selene Preciado, this group show gathers artists from the Americas to look at the ways in which language often reflects political reality. Featuring the work of figures such as Marco Ramírez ERRE, Regina José Galindo and Mely Barragán (whom I wrote about as part of the Tijuana art series in October). Through Feb. 14. 6522 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, welcometolace.org.

Sadie Barnette, “Superfecta,” at Charlie James Gallery. In a series of multimedia works — from photography to meticulously rendered drawings — the artist looks at the culture of horse racing, touching on issues of fantasy, escapism and chance. Through Feb. 20. 969 Chung King Road, Chinatown, Los Angeles, cjamesgallery.com.

George Porcari, “Greetings From LA: 24 Frames and 50 Years,” at Haphazard. Since the ’60s, artist George Porcari has been photographing Los Angeles — from the street to the beach. In this exhibition, he uses those images to make large-scale photo collages set around a blank space — or void — that shapes the tone of the images above and below. Through Feb. 20. 1542 Sawtelle Blvd., Sawtelle, Los Angeles, haphazard.co.

“Ishiuchi Miyako: Postwar Shadows” at the Getty Center. Showcasing several bodies of work by the Japanese photographer, this exhibition includes her moving images of objects and clothing that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Each image captures deeply personal details such as patches, mends and stains, all evidence of the full lives once inhabited by these garments. Also on view will be a small exhibition of contemporary Japanese photographers. Through Feb. 21. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, getty.edu.

“The Wartime Photographs of Ansel Adams,” at the Skirball Cultural Center. Adams’ powerful black-and-white images from Manzanar during World War II protested what he described as the “enforced exodus” of American citizens: Japanese Americans who were forcefully detained for the course of the war. It’s a stirring view of life for Japanese Americans during a dark period in American history. Through Feb. 21. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood, skirball.org.

Diana Thater, “The Sympathetic Imagination,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Los Angeles-based video artist is widely known for groundbreaking video installations that incorporate the architecture of a space while exploring a range of natural phenomena: from the underwater lives of dolphins to the ways in which bees communicate. For the show at LACMA, she is showing works shot in Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny, France, and at the Galtaji Temple in Jaipur, India. Through Feb. 21. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

“Noah Davis: Imitation of Wealth” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Grand Avenue. In 2013, Davis re-created a series of works by famous artists and put them on display at the Underground Museum, his alternative art space in Arlington Heights. The idea was to display works of high cultural value in an unlikely setting. Now, the Museum of Contemporary Art has re-created the installation — a work made more poignant by the artist’s recent death. (The piece is viewable free of charge through the windows of a storefront space adjacent to the museum.) Through Feb. 22. 250 S. Grand Ave., downtown, moca.org.

John Outterbridge, “Rag Man,” at Art + Practice. The renowned Los Angeles assemblage artist is showing works produced mainly over the last decade and a half from scavenged materials such as twigs, bones and hair. Works from the recent series “Rag and Bone Idiom” evoke talismans and healing rituals. Through Feb. 27. 4339 Leimert Blvd., Leimert Park, artandpractice.org.

“R. Luke DuBois: Now” and “Sandow Birk: American Qur’an,” at the Orange County Museum of Art. OCMA opens a pair of new shows: one by the New York-based DuBois, an artist who often employs data to create unique visualizations, and the L.A.-based Birk, who has spent nine years transcribing and illustrating every verse of the Koran in a uniquely American way. Through Feb. 28. 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach, ocma.net.

“Rain Room,” at the L.A. County Museum of Art. It was universally panned by the critics when it appeared at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. (New York Magazine critic Jerry Saltz described it as “the worst single work of art that I saw all this year ... a high-tech amusement-park ride.”) And my colleague Christopher Knight labeled it “brainless amusement” in his review of the experience. But who cares when you can take the world’s most awesome selfie inside it and share it with the world on Instagram? Through March 6. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

“Disguise: Masks and Global African Art,” at the Fowler Museum. This exhibition looks at the art of disguise through the work of a dozen contemporary African and African American artists — touching on everything from elaborate masks to the illusionist camouflage of the digital sphere. Expect to see work by artists such as Zina Saro-Wiwa, Jacolby Satterwhite and Brendan Fernandes. Through March 13. UCLA, north campus, Westwood, fowler.ucla.edu.

“Frank Gehry,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Featuring more than 200 drawings and 65 models, as well as countless photographs and video, this retrospective looks at the life and career of one of L.A.’s most celebrated architects. Totally worth it just to see the original design for downtown’s Disney Hall. (Glad they went for the option that was built.) Through March 20. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

“In Focus: Daguerreotypes,” at the Getty Museum. A selection of some of the museum’s 2,000 daguerreotypes go on view alongside daguerreotypes from the collection of singer-songwriter Graham Nash, a prominent collector of this early type of photography. Through March 30. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, getty.edu.

“Robert Cremean: The Beds of Procrustes” and “The Seven Deadly Sins,” at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. The California artist is known for cool, diagrammatic pieces that employ the human figure in ways that riff on bigger questions of art, myth, faith and sacrifice. For his show in Pasadena, one installation examines the legend of Procrustes, the Greek mythological bandit who would torture people in various ways in order to force them to fit onto an iron bed, while another uses human figures to interpret each of the deadly sins. Through April 3. 490 E. Union St., Pasadena, pmcaonline.org.

“Hard Edged: Geometrical Abstraction and Beyond,” at the California African American Museum. A new exhibition features the work of 46 artists — from emerging figures to well-established names — working in the arena of geometric abstraction. This includes works by fresh voices and standard-bearers, including well-known figures such as Rashid Johnson, Senga Nengudi, David Hammons and Tim Washington. Through April 24. 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, caamuseum.org.

Alice Könitz, “Los Angeles Museum of Art (LAMOA),” at Occidental College. This is a work of sculpture that also serves as a micro exhibition hall. The space was established in Könitz’s backyard in 2012 but will be on view at Occidental College for the course of the academic year. The inaugural exhibition features work by L.A. artist Alice Clements. Through spring 2016. In front of Weingart Hall at Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, oxy.edu.

“Popol Vuh: Watercolors of Diego Rivera,” at the Bowers Museum. The “Popol Vuh” is a nearly 500-year-old Mayan text, written in Quiché, that recounts that culture’s creation myths. This sacred text inspired a series of watercolors by Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, an artist who was preoccupied with indigenous themes. Now 17 of these paintings, on loan from a museum in Mexico, are on view at the Bowers. Through May 29. 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, bowers.org.

Alex Israel, at the Huntington. In 2012, the San Marino library and museum unveiled the first of its contemporary interventions with low-key works by Ricky Swallow and Lesley Vance. Now the museum is getting bolder, with a series of installations by painter Alex Israel, whose pop-inspired canvases and objects touch on topics such as celebrity, glamour and power. Through July 11. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, huntington.org.

“Senses of Time: Video and Film-Based Works of Africa,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. For one of its long-term installations, the museum has gathered works of video or film by contemporary African artists that explore the body and the looping nature of time. This includes pieces by figures such as Yinka Shonibare, Sammy Baloji, Berni Searle, Moatax Nasr and Theo Eshetu. Through Jan. 2, 2017. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

“Islamic Art Now” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Contemporary works from LACMA’s permanent collection by 20 artists who live in or have roots in the Middle East look at questions of society, gender and identity. Runs indefinitely. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

Find me on Twitter @cmonstah