Amazing! Cool! Fantastic!
Long Beach was once known as the Pearl of the Pacific not only for its famous beach but also for its upscale lifestyle of which the Villa Rivera is a silent reminder. Fitting for that era with residences of film stars and of movie palaces for celebrated premiers, the automotive company leading in luxury cars showcased its models in a theatrical setting on Anaheim Street. Now known as the Packard Automotive Palace, its former grandeur is still evident in three splendid chandeliers hanging somewhat unmotivated from the rafters.
Back then, avant-garde design housed in Spanish Revival architecture was matched by state of the art engineering. Creativity and style marked the brand. It is only fitting that this space inspires artists to interact with this environment to create a cultural rendezvous with the past.
The stage is set for installations and performances to be viscerally felt, absorbed by the senses throughout the body. Invited to be fully engaged in this encounter with artistic creativity past and present the audience may reflect on their relationship to art and place The exhibition defies canonic categories, stern delineation along distinct art forms offering instead an uncategorized multi-sensory experience.
(Frauke von der Horst)
David Kelley is an interdisciplinary artist who works at the intersection of the body and landscape. His experimental documentary and ethnographic practices make use of video, photography, sculpture and performance strategies. His works have been shown internationally in galleries and museums. He has had recent solo shows at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Commonwealth and Council Gallery in Los Angeles.
