This coming weekend, Art at the Rendon/Stories comes to the vacant hotel in DTLA that was home to an innovative series of art installations last June.
Activating the site November 9th through 11th, director Ralph Ziman and creative director Maria Greenshields-Ziman are offering an immersive experience that will turn the hotel into a stage and screen, exploring a fictionalized version of the building’s history.
The pair started brainstorming the idea in September, and found the large-scale installation a vast undertaking.
The most satisfying aspect of the project, Ziman says is “Definitely the innovative aspect of working with a group of like-minded people. From the performers to the production crew, we are blown away by the passion and enthusiasm Art at the Rendon has generated with Stories. Because of the organic nature of the collaboration, each person brings something new and exciting to the table, wholeheartedly investing their unique set of skills, imagination, and creativity. We planted a seed and it grew,” he enthuses.
Ziman adds “Putting on a public event is complicated, because there are so many elements. Each production issue that we solved seems to bring up another. Cindy Schwartzstein from Cartwheel Art has been at the helm of production logistics and without her we couldn’t do any of this. She and her team don’t ever seem to sleep.”
Schwartzstein curated and produced Art at the Rendon’s inaugural event, Hidden Rooms, and continues to direct The Rendon’s art programming. Other integral collaborators include production designer Jennifer A. Davis, cinematographer Stevie George, and media producer Nolan Silverstein.
According to Greenshields-Ziman, the exhibit’s inspiration was the character and history of the building, which served as the main catalyst. “We want to show glimpses into the lives of the people we imagined might have lived there. We wanted to activate the building from the inside and from outside. In addition to the scenarios within the walls of the hotel, there will also be projection mapping on the exterior. The mapping will combine a human analogue element with more surreal elements.”
The pair most want readers to explore the building in a “voyeuristic way, peeking into the lives of the inhabitants – characters – in each room. We want them to wonder: How did this person get here? Where did they come from? Why are they acting the way they do? What will happen to them when I leave the room? We want to fire the audience’s curiosity.”
Ziman says the installation builds on the previous Art at the Rendon experience, Hidden Rooms, held in June. “The two events are similar in that they are both collaborative and immersive, with the rooms of the hotel and the dive bar as the main focus. Hidden Rooms was interactive and all about communication, in that the artists hung out and met with the patrons to talk about their work. Stories is mostly non-interactive. The guests are voyeurs, walking through the hotel.”
Above, Hidden Rooms
Greenshields-Ziman notes “They can enter the threshold of each room but no further than a few feet. The performers carry on in the rooms as if they were at home in their own spaces, without interacting with anyone outside the performance. The audience and performers will have time to meet, have a drink, and converse in the bar after each show.”
The audience can move freely through two floors of the hotel, experiencing each room. Opera singer Rachel Staples Guettler will also perform live at the event.
Downstairs, the hotel’s corner dive bar, Licha’s Bar and Grill, is reimagined as a 1920s speakeasy with libations by Angel City Brewery, Infuse Spirits and Pali Wine. There will also be live music by The Vignes Rooftop Revival. All are based in the Arts District.
“Art at The Rendon seeks to bring communities together to celebrate the arts and the spirit of the district. Stories, like Hidden Rooms, is a fundraiser for local arts organizations. We brought together all sorts of local performers and creatives—including actors, musicians, and filmmakers, and we’ve had many DTLA Arts District businesses join us as community partners. It’s exciting to see so many coming together in a way that benefits the community, because that’s what Art at the Rendon is all about,” Ziman explains.
STORIES continues Art at The Rendon’s commitment to the local arts community. 100% of proceeds benefit local arts organizations Inner-City Arts and Cornerstone Theater Company.
Don’t miss. Tickets available via Eventbrite, here.
ART AT THE RENDON // STORIES
Friday, November 9 (7 – 10 pm)
Saturday, November 10 (7 – 10 pm)
Sunday, November 11 (6 – 9 pm)
The Rendon
2055 E. 7th Street
Downtown Los Angeles Arts District
