From outdoor art shrine to indoor glitter, the Rendon Hotel became the pop-up art spot to beat all pop-ups in LA this past weekend.
You might not want to book at stay at the Rendon, a former single occupancy hotel just off 7th in DTLA. But if you checked out the first in a series of Art at the Rendon events this past weekend, it was all the same a terrific place to spend the night.
Over 40 artists took over the hotel, creating immersive, individual rooms, some featuring performance art, some unspooling video images, some with the artists holding court, explaining the genesis of their work. Astonishingly beautiful, Hidden Rooms, curated by Cindy Schwarzstein of Cartwheel Art (below), brought DTLA-affiliated artists together to conceptualize all three floors of the building.
Guests climbed the slightly-shaky metal fire escapes to access each floor, and wandered narrow halls to view the rooms.
Artists had just around 3 weeks to complete their works – and the results were stunning.
Above, Davia King and Lisa Schulte, artists.
From magical neon to sheer, diaphanous fabric with haunting images of the city; light and the use of light was one key element that recurred in the rooms.
Below, artist Teale Hatheway lets the wind carry her work.
Below, purple light infuses artist Jeff Ho’s room.
Texture was also a key element of installations: below, Guerin Swing gives us a silver room with the walls of a celestial, alien cave.
Faux fur on the bed, beaded lamp dangles above.
The Baker’s Son conjured up outsize, tasty, tactile treats, below.
Constructs of wood redefine space in the work of Susan Feldman Tucker, who bisected her room with wood and small sparkling lights, below.
And what is the texture of money? As Warren Zevon once sang, “bring lawyers, guns, and money…” the lawyers were temporarily missing.
The weapon worship of America was touched upon in several spaces, including this haunting installation by Clinton Bopp, below, referencing Arthurian times.
From evoking ocean breezes to calling up something much darker, rooms also shaped distinct notions of place and time.
Other images were harsher.
Or haunted…as with filmed images from the hotel by Natasa Prosenc Stearns, below.
Marcel “SEL” Blanco, below, gracefully took flight.
Joseph Manuel Montalvo (NUKE) created the room of a Zoot-suited dancer, who interacted with hotel guests. Performance, below, by Pachuco Chino.
Politics came in many forms – butterflies were one, emblematic of migration, below, from Maria Greenshields Ziman.
A White House built of sand in the jungle… it is all a bit Apocalypse Now these days… from INDECLINE.
Street artist Paradox gives us predictions of the future and a look at cool Sacrosanct Society clothing.
Whatever door viewers stepped through, there was a transformation.
Participating artists included: ABCNT, Abel Alejandre Studio, AISEBORN – Visual Artist, Atlas, Kofie, Baker’s Son, Big Sleeps, Beau Stanton, Bisco Smith, Calder Greenwood, California Locos, Cassie Zhang, Christina Angelina (aka Starfighter), Clinton Bopp, Chaz Bojorquez, Darcy Yates, Dave Lovejoy, Dave Tourjé, Davia King, Dytch66, CBS, Emmeric Konrad, Francesca Quintano, Gabriella Fash, Gary Wong, Guerin Swing, INDECLINE, James P. Scott, Jacqueline Palafox, Jeff Ho, Johnny Cubert White, John Van Hamersveld, Joseph Manuel Montalvo (NUKE), Joe Prime Reza (K2S), Josh Everhorn, Josh Webb (aka Joex2), Kelcey Fisher (aka KFiSH), Kelly Graval (RISK), Keya Tama, Lisa Schulte, Man One, Marcel “SEL” Blanco, Maria Greenshields-Ziman, Mark Dean Veca, Michael Torquato DeNicola, MYMO (aka Mimo Ilie Mali), Moncho 1929, Deejay Trixter, Nataša Prosenc Stearns, Nicholas Bonamy, Norton Wisdom, Ralph Ziman (aka Afrika47), Restitution Press, RETNA, RhoXRose, Robert Sticky Shaw, Sarah K. Walsh, Shrine (Brent Allen Spears), Sma Litzsinger, Stephen Seemayer, Susan Feldman Tucker, Tanner Goldbeck, Teale Hatheway, VALTD, Vanessa Chow.
On the ground level, music rocked the dive-bar, while sculptures, an art car, and food truck took over the courtyard.
Hidden Rooms was the first event in the Art at the Rendon series, which is planned to bring both art and music to the vacant hotel before it is renovated — and after the renovation. The idea is to continue art programming and offer artist residencies.
We wished there was an extended checkout, but unfortunately, this was just a weekend staycation.
- Genie Davis; Photos: Genie Davis
James P.Scott did not do ‘the island’ room. His was the ‘Cut Ends Hidden Room’, room #29.
His room is not pictured in this article but should be,as this was a fantastic show
Sorry about the misnaming. Will correct! As to not having photos of everything – if you have a good photo, please send it our way. Would have been impossible to have photos of every room in this story unfortunately, they were all wonderful.