In Los Angeles, Even an Art Fair Is Really About the Parties

“I think Frieze is fantastic,” James Corden said. “I went to the one in London before anyone in L.A. even knew what it was.”

It was Tuesday in Los Angeles, and Mr. Corden, the former late-night host who now lives in London, was standing inside the Holmby Hills home of Jimmy Iovine, the co-founder of Interscope Records and the former chief executive of Beats Electronics. About 225 people had gathered for an art auction hosted by Mr. Iovine and Dr. Dre and organized by Sotheby’s.

The event was part of a week of art talks, exhibitions and dinners culminating in Frieze Los Angeles, a four-day contemporary art fair held at the Santa Monica airport.

Frieze began in London in 2003 and has since expanded to New York City, Los Angeles and Seoul. (Last year, Frieze also bought two existing art fairs, Expo Chicago and the Armory Show in Manhattan.)

This was the fifth year of Frieze in Los Angeles, and as Mr. Corden noted, the event is picking up momentum on the West Coast. Simon Fox, the chief executive of Frieze, estimates the festivities have doubled in size from last year. “I think we counted over 150 different events happening in the city around the fair,” he said. “The city is exploding.”