Datebook: Videos about secrets, photography about rising tides

Visceral video pieces about secrets, a show devoted to the ways in which man is contending with rising seas, and a photographer who takes on L.A.’s bus system. Plus: an anniversary show and a video about hallways. It’s all happening in L.A. and beyond:

Gillian Wearing, “Everyone,” at Regen Projects. Wearing is a British artist known for creating riveting video and other pieces that play with ideas of truth, secrets and lies. The show features a new video, “Fear and Loathing” — Wearing’s first produced in the United States — with an array of Angelenos divulging closely held secrets while donning masks. It makes for surreal and enthralling viewing. Opening reception Saturday 6 p.m.; runs through Jan. 24. 6750 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, regenprojects.com.

“Sink or Swim: Designing for a Sea Change,” at the Annenberg Space for Photography. A new exhibition of photographs organized by KCRW’s “Design and Architecture” host Frances Anderton shows the ways in which humans have been contending with the rise of sea levels around the globe. This includes a range of solutions, from hatched-together floating communities to sophisticated architectural interventions. Opens Saturday; runs through May 3. 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, annenbergspaceforphotography.org.

“Sophie Caby: TERMINUS Los Angeles,” at Unit B. Housed in a project space run by Wilding Cran Gallery, this exhibition gathers a series of images shot by the French photographer on L.A. city buses. Opening reception Saturday 6 p.m.; runs through Dec. 27. 939 S. Santa Fe Ave., downtown Los Angeles, wildingcran.com/unit-b.

“11 Years: Anniversary Group Show,” at Western Projects. The Culver City gallery celebrates its 11th anniversary with a group show that brings together artists from its permanent stable, such as the seminal performer Ron Athey, as well as a few invited special guests. Through Dec. 23. 2762 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, western-project.com.

Joanne Mitchell, “All the Hallways,” at Proxy Gallery. The gallery in a box (I wrote about it here) has a new show up by L.A. artist Mitchell consisting of all the hallway scenes from Chantal Akerman’s 1975 drama “Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles.” Runs through Jan. 31. Otis Graduate Studios, 10455 Washington Blvd., Culver City, ospace.otis.edu/proxy_gallery.

Julie Schaefer, “Fireside Lounge to 41.296111, -105.515000,” at 2A Gallery. This weekend, the photographer gives a talk about her project, which explores the final tragic steps traveled by Matthew Shepard, the young Wyoming man who was murdered outside of Laramie for being gay. The talk is Sunday at 1:30 p.m.; the exhibition runs through Dec. 20. 400 S. Main St., downtown Los Angeles, 2agallery.com.

“Looking Back at Black Male: A Conversation with Thelma Golden, Hilton Als and Huey Copeland,” at the New School Auditorium. OK, so this is nowhere near Los Angeles. It’s in New York, and it deals with a historic exhibition held at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1994: “Black Male: Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary American Art.” But with the recent headlines about Ferguson, and now Eric Garner, it seems like a good time to consider the ways in which black men have been represented in American culture. I’d like to think that some U.S. museum (perhaps the Hammer? Or MOCA?) will be inspired to revisit the topic right here on the West Coast. Friday at 6:30 p.m. The New School Auditorium, 66 W. 12th St., New York, whitney.org.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS:

Josef Koudelka, “Nationality Doubtful,” at the Getty Center. A retrospective on the important Czech-born photographer gathers more than 180 works from throughout the artist’s six-decades-long career. Through March 22. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, getty.edu.

“Nature and the American Vision: The Hudson River School” at the L.A. County Museum of Art. Forty-five paintings by the best-known artists of the American landscape movement, including Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt and Frederic Edwin Church. Through June 7. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

“Pierre Huyghe” at the L.A. County Museum of Art. The hallucinatory retrospective of the French conceptualist, who is better known for his experimentations (a site-specific sculpture made out of a beehive) than the production of serial objects. Through Feb. 22. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, lacma.org.

“The Contenders,” a film series, at the Hammer Museum. A collaboration between the Hammer and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, “The Contenders” is showcasing the most influential, innovative films of the last 12 months. Upcoming screenings include “Obvious Child” on Dec. 16 with Jenny Slate in person and “Selma” on Dec. 17 with director Ava DuVernay. Series runs through Jan. 13. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, hammer.ucla.edu. For full screenings list, visit hammer.ucla.edu/contenders.

“World War I: War of Images, Images of War” at the Getty Research Institute. On the 100th anniversary of World War I, the exhibition gathers art about the experience including propaganda and vernacular pieces. Through April 19. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, getty.edu.

Jacolby Satterwhite, “How Love Is Me Being as I Am,” at Ohwow Gallery. Satterwhite’s hallucinatory works may seem inspired by sci-fi, but many draw inspiration from the inventive drawings of his mother, who is afflicted with schizophrenia. Through Dec. 20. 937 N. La Cienega, West Hollywood, oh-wow.com.

Richard Misrach at Marc Selwyn Fine Art. In his “Scrubs” series, the influential photographer captures tight details of desert vegetation in ways that render the plants abstract. Through Jan. 17. 9953 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, marcselwynfineart.com.

Florian Maier-Aichen at Blum & Poe. Images of aerials and landscapes are manipulated in ways that will leave you wondering what is fiction and what is real. Through Dec. 20. 2727 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, blumandpoe.com.

“Patssi Valdez: Somber Hues” at Offramp Gallery. The former Asco member paints buoyant domestic settings inspired by poetry, the seasons and film. Through Jan. 4. 1702 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena, offrampgallery.com.

Ben Berlow at Farago. A new gallery space shows paintings by the L.A.-born/New York-based Ben Berlow, who often works with bits of found paper as his canvas. Through Jan. 16. 224 W. 8th St., downtown Los Angeles, farago.xyz.

Faycal Baghriche, “Walk the Walk,” at Human Resources L.A. (HRLA). The Algerian-born artist takes his observations of L.A.’s urban space and transforms them into a large-scale physical installation. Runs through Dec. 14. 410 Cottage Home St., Chinatown, Los Angeles, humanresourcesla.com.

Max Maslansky, “The Edge of Night,” at Five Car Garage. L.A. painter Maslansky frequently takes on the work of gay adult film star Dennis Posa (also known as Dennis Parker and Wade Nichols) in deeply saturated canvases. Through Dec. 30. Call ahead at (310) 497-6895 or email info@emmagrayhq.com for Santa Monica location info. emmagrayhq.com.

“Jeff Ho: The Board” at C. Nichols Projects. An annual holiday surf show examines the practically mystical qualities a good surfboard can have. Runs through Dec. 23. 12613 1/2 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista, cnicholsprojects.com.

Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.