Frieze 91 members are invited for a conversation between artist and filmmaker RaMell Ross, and writer and curator Essence Harden. Join us at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel as the pair discusses Ross's latest film Nickel Boys.
RaMell Ross, an Oscar-nominated writer-director and visual artist known for his acclaimed documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening, premiered his narrative feature debut, Nickel Boys, on December 13, 2024. The film has already received significant accolades, including a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globe Awards, a Best Film nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards, and recognition as one of the Top Films of 2024 by the American Film Institute. Adapted from Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Nickel Boys depicts the harrowing experiences of two young African American boys at a reform school during the Jim Crow era and won Best Director for Ross at the Gotham Awards. Celebrated for his innovative storytelling that highlights the Black experience in America, Ross also teaches visual art at Brown University.
Essence Harden is curator of the Focus section of Frieze Los Angeles 2025, and co-curator of the Hammer Museum’s ‘Made in L.A'.
With special thanks to the Santa Monica Proper Hotel.