Event 2: Hammer Museum

I recently visited the Hammer Museum to see the Provocations exhibit, Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio, and the This is the End exhibit. 

I had never been to the Hammer Museum and expected something similar to the Getty, which was true for what I saw at the Provocations exhibit. The Provocations exhibit highlights the Heatherwick studio, which combines engineering and art to create incredible monuments, bridges, and other public spaces. One of my favorite pieces was the proposed Teesside Power Station in England which aims to not only power 2,000 homes but also to serve as a public venue, a park, and a place for community gatherings. Rather than deter residents from living nearby, the Teesside Power Station may actually become a desired icon to live near. 

Although the Provocations exhibit may have been what I expected from the Hammer Museum, This is the End and the Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio shattered any sense of conventionality I had. To be honest, these exhibits scared me. Walking into The Catch exhibit, I was greeted by complete blackness and sound/music that was increasing in loudness and beat. Although initially afraid, the exhibit itself was beautiful with the draping curtain and light emanating onto the water and I liked the concept behind the piece. The Catch aims to collect water that would have been lost to the ocean and redistribute it through Los Angeles, a great example of integrating science and art. By displaying The Catch at the Hammer, it is able to reach both demographics. 

Lastly, I went into the This Is the End exhibit and watched Ed Atkins “Even Pricks”. I don’t know what my expectations were but I can confidently say it wasn’t what I experienced. This 8-minute looped film shows short, unrelated scenes in which actions are not completed and satisfaction is never gained. It cuts to scenes of a CGI orangutan speaking in a different accent and then back to a thumb defying the laws of physics. Most of the film was created using CGI technology and it truly added another level of realism into the film. This combination of science and art furthered the goal of the film: fear, confusion, and a lack of continuity. 

Although my mom and I left joking that we were going to have nightmares after the Hammer Museum, I did enjoy my experience there and learned quite a bit about science and art.

REFERENCES

Me at Hammer Museum, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Teesside Power Station model, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

The Catch exhibit, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Even Pricks still, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Personal photograph by author. 2015.