Notes and Notices

Urs Fischer has upended the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Los Angeles. The first survey of his work in the United States, the show brings together a few favorites, which combine ghoulish and glam in one strange brew.

Every piece Fischer includes in the show is designed to make one take a second look. The show, which encompasses 38,500 square feet of the museum's two locations downtown. Right at the entrance of its Grand Avenue location, Fischer puts a gaping wall that allows visitors to see through to the other side, where skeletons in various states of distress play. "That looks like what I feel in the mornings," remarks the party-hearty person beside me. One look at the skeletal figure sprawled on the sofa and I have a fair inkling of how much fun my erstwhile companion indulges in every day.

"Portrait of a Single Raindrop" allows visitors to peek through holes on the walls of the museum.

"Undigested Sunset" feels like the morning after some serious partying.

But perhaps the biggest question on the mind of visitors the day I came was this: how will the museum guards handle the exhibition, especially when throngs of kids come through?

It's not the usual concern that would come up, but with nary a rope or glass box in sight, and with a plethora of ghoulish creations on view, children would be hard-pressed to control themselves. Museum guards, I imagine, would have a devil of a time keeping a modicum of control.

As I walked through Fischer's imitation rainfall installation, "Horses Dream of Horses," I could just picture children running and entangling themselves on the hardly visible nylon string. Then there is the bread house, which visitors can enter at will. How much of that would be left once the exhibition is done?

"Horses Dream of Horses" was a beautiful but worrisome piece held up by nylon string

"Untitled (Bread House)" is a temptation for children of all ages.

The question is only amplified as I enter the Little Tokyo location, where the artist worked with 1,500 volunteers molding a wonderland of clay, which surround a 20-foot copy of Giambologna's sculpture, "The Rape of the Sabine Women." There was no clear path in the Geffen Contemporary. Visitors weaved in and out as they pleased.



"This is like finding a long-lost civilization." I overheard another visitor say and it wouldn't be too far off. Within the clay molds, a diversity of voices emerged, from the playful to the earnest. I was surprised I did not see more names carved into piece of a clay, a veritable "I was here" opportunity that not took advantage of.

The Geffen Contemporary was turned into a maze of clay, each hardly guarded by the museum. I can't blame them. It would be impossible to keep your eye out for every warm body that moved through the gigantic space.

"We're just trying to get through the this," says one of the guards good-naturedly. A few minutes speaking to them made it clear they knew what the challenges were, but accepted it anyway. They did not seem resigned, but perhaps challenged or amused by the prospect of children run amok in the museum.

If anything, Fischer's retrospective was an exercise is fun and imagination tinged with dark mischief. It is a place where Hansel and Gretels of the world would delight, even though they were in danger of losing themselves in the forest or falling into the clutches of a wicked witch. The guards have my sympathy.

All photos by Carren Jao. Urs Fischer runs at the MOCA until August 19.

It is sometimes the small shows that shine the most. At the Hammer Museum, a small gallery on the first floor is occupied by the "archeological excavations" of the mixed-media artist Cyprien Gaillard.

Installation view of Cyprien Gaillard: The Crystal World at MoMA PS1, January 2013. Photo: Matthew Septimus/ MoMA PS1.

12 Polaroids with mats and aluminum and Plexiglas frames. 40 1/8 x 28 3/8 x 1 5/8 in. (103 x 73 x 4.5 cm) framed. Copyright Cyprien Gaillard. Courtesy Sprueth Magers Berlin London.

Satisfaction is a difficult thing to gain (as the Rolling Stones have so memorably immortalized in their song). Everywhere around us, we are constantly reminded to be more, strive more, or just have more. As a result, we slowly, but surely come to want well...more--to the detriment of our finances, health and environment. 

While preparing for a friend's wedding, I got a chance to visit up north to San Francisco. This time, I was quite fearless walking the streets, armed as I was with a Google Maps app. Unlike the previous years where I stuck mostly to taking the BART, I took the Muni all over the city.

What I found was a strange thing: soda signage. There are so many other things in San Francisco to look at, you say, and I would agree, but I was taken by how often I'd see corner stores with either a Coca-Cola or Pepsi logo emblazoned in front. It reminded me of the many small streetside stores in Manila hawking their wares under a soda sign. (Just do a Google Image search for, "sari-sari store Manila" if you don't believe me.)

Spotted North of the Panhandle.

I worked in retail in another lifetime and I know signage like this was a tactical thing for the softdrink makers. The more often you see their logo, they reasoned, the more you would trust their brand. Competitive streaks eventually overtook the practice and, in the Philippines, representatives would dutifully make sure as many stores carried their logo.

Years later, in San Francisco, that marketing tactic returned to me as I kept on passing these soda branded-signs. The soda wars were played out all over the world, it seems, from the streets of the Philippines to the sunny corners of San Francisco.

On Mission Street.

On Guerrero Street.

On 20th Street.

What I love most about living in Los Angeles is the element of surprise. You think you know Los Angeles, but baby, you don't.

While driving through the canyons on my way back home, I happened upon this gem. Despite its size in the photographs I took, the temple was actually obscured by large mounds of soil that faced the busy road. I had only glanced outside my car window just in time to see a tantalizing glimpse of temple's gorgeously fashioned facade.

The Malibu Hindu Temple is a temple of the Hindu god Venkateswara. When the Hindu Temple Society of Southern California built it, they certainly did a supreme job of it. The temple had a serene air about it. Its white face was clean as fresh, fallen snow, while hints of gold glinted in the cool winter sun.

I walked the temple grounds, but first, I had to remove my shoes. Feeling the cold floor under my feet outdoors was a new experience. That strangeness heightened my senses, allowing me to take in more than I probably would have.




Despite the temple's relative isolation at the time. It was evident people used the space regularly. A few relics were left here and there. Little bits of incense were still lit. A small drawing made from chalk dust was stark against the black floor. Here was a world I couldn't even begin to understand, but I was fascinated.




I do love temples because by their being, they are rooted in something much, much older than anyone living. Find out more about the temple here.

"LA is baffling, byzantine, fantastically incohesive." Those are the opening lines to Moby's cheerleading of Los Angeles architecture. The musician has been making waves in local architecture ever since he moved to town and started his Tumblr on LA architecture.

The Tumblr is not what you would normally expect from an architecture site. It's free of a lot of jargon the industry tends to use (not to mention capital letters), but there is a lot of love for Los Angeles's strangeness. Modernist homes, old LA theaters, strip clubs , empty rooms and all.

I was early for the York Boulevard parklet opening. In fact, one whole day earlier. "The opening is tomorrow,"  Cathi Milligan, owner of the Glass Studio told me. I took heart knowing that she says I wasn't the only one to be so mistaken. In hindsight, it was also a blessing in disguise; it gave me an opportunity to take a look at the parklet taking shape without the usual throng of people.

As the name implies, the parklet is a micro park designed to add life to the streets. Often incorporating seating and a safe place to stop and linger, the parklet allows pedestrians to rediscover the joys of watching their neighborhood go about its business.

This particular parklet is set on the main drag of Highland Park, York Boulevard. Twenty feet long by six feet wide, the York Boulevard parklet covers not much more than a parking space, but it made use of all that it got. Wooden planks added warmth to the space while curvy concrete seats add some style.

The best part of the parklet for me were the colored glass tiles that decorated the main seating and the additional "stool" seating in the middle. That detail is what captures the community's spirit.

Bright, bold and colorful, the tiles trace out playful patterns that are a delight to any passers-by. (I know I stopped to take lot of pictures.) A closer inspection of the design shows that "community" was a big theme that played into the design.

Fun tiles representing the York Boulevard residents and small businesses could be found. Here, a tile showing the Mayor of York Boulevard's son. There, a silhouette of a measuring tape. And there, an Instagram-style photo. Eastsider LA says some of the tiles depict scenes from "Reservoir Dogs," which was filmed in Highland Park.

While Cathi and Zoey (an artist helping out with the project) were adding tiles to the seating, I saw neighbors honk their horns in greeting or stop by and chat. Even Frank Vuoso of the LA Conservation Corps and Carlos (his young assistant) took time to update me on how the project is going. Unlike the cool, reserve of most anonymous city projects, I could tell the whole neighborhood was happy to get an extra place to hang out.





Small as that parklet is, it wasn't easy getting it all together. The process, outlined in this article, took years of planning and a lot of community input. It was a project well-conceived and obviously loved, which is why in a few hours, I expect to hear a lot of rave reviews.