Gagosian to present Upside Down, a new exhibition of sculptures by Alex Israel, opening at Davies Street on 12th June 2026.
Featuring four large-scale sculptures based on surfboard fins, the exhibition continues Israel’s long-running exploration of Southern California culture, transforming one of surfing’s most recognisable forms into a series of sleek, suspended objects that hover above visitors’ heads.
Enlarged from the functional fins found beneath surfboards, the sculptures are carved from Plexiglas and rendered with varying levels of transparency and reflectivity. Their polished surfaces and emphasis on light, colour and perception place them in dialogue with the Finish Fetish and Light and Space movements that emerged in Los Angeles during the 1960s, while also drawing on the commercial aesthetics of surf culture and the optimistic mythology of the Californian coast.
For this latest iteration, Israel has inverted the fins and suspended them from the gallery ceiling. The unusual presentation references a range of surfing experiences, from the moment a surfer performs a “turtle roll” beneath an incoming wave to the disorientating sensation of being flipped upside down by the ocean. The installation also transforms the gallery itself, with its street-facing windows creating the impression of a giant aquarium, positioning visitors as if viewing the sculptures from beneath the water’s surface.
The works are each titled after well-known pop songs, adding another layer of nostalgia and collective memory to the exhibition. As with much of Israel’s practice, references to popular culture sit alongside art historical influences, creating works that are both playful and formally rigorous.
The fin has become one of the artist’s recurring motifs in recent years. First emerging from ideas developed around his surf-themed feature film SPF-18 (2017), the shape has since appeared throughout his wider practice, including his design for a Louis Vuitton Artycapucines handbag, the official logo he created for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and a recent collaboration with Oliver Peoples that raised funds for victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Most recently, Israel designed the fin-shaped award presented to recipients of the inaugural California Arts Council Awards in Sacramento, further cementing the motif’s place within his expanding visual universe.
By elevating a familiar object from surf culture into the space of sculpture, Upside Down continues Israel’s ongoing investigation into identity, place and the mythology of Los Angeles. Suspended between art object, cultural symbol and personal memory, the fins become emblems of a region whose influence extends far beyond its coastline.
Alex Israel: Upside Down, 12th June – 5th September 2026, Gagosian Davies Street
Opening reception: Friday 12th June, 6PM–8PM
