Photo Coverage: “Human Condition,” Presented by John Wolf

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Work in the Autoclaves, by Kim Simonsson.

Check out Dr. Paul Koudounaris’s highlighted photos, taken during his visit to the exhibition Human Condition. #TheHospital.

From the Press Release about Human Condition:

Human Condition is an immersive, site-specific exhibition that features the work of sixty emerging and established artists in a uniquely challenging space: a former hospital in West Adams, previously known as the Los Angeles Medical Center. Curated and produced by the Los-Angeles based art advisor John Wolf, Human Condition invites artists to re-contextualize the hospital’s functional history–over 40,000 square feet of it–as a venue to explore what it means to be human.

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center proudly opened in 1971 as the first black-owned hospital in Los Angeles. It operated successfully for decades. Later, both the hospital and the West Adams neighborhood in which it was located declined: in the hands of the Pacific Health Corp, the hospital closed amid revelations of criminal mismanagement and insurance fraud in 2013.

Years of neglect are now giving way to reinvestment in West Adams, which hosts much of the cities cherished architectural heritage and landmarks. It is now home to many working artists, a burgeoning art scene, and other signs of community-driven cultural renewal.

With Human Condition, Wolf has invited artists to explore the corporeal and psychological experience of being human. Ranging from sculpture, drawing, painting, performance, and immersive installations, the works are displayed amongst the surgical rooms. maternity wards, a psychiatric floor, and cafeteria. Both the artist and viewer are encouraged to explore the dilapidated remains and transcend the buildings original intention.

Many of the artists have taken over entire hospital rooms for solo presentations and site-specific installations, with the two main floors of the exhibition divided in approach to human condition.

The subconscious mind is addressed on the first floor by artists Jenny Holzer, David Benjamin Sherry, Gregory Crewdson, and Chantal Joffe, among others. The hospital’s rooftop billboard, which once read “The Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center,” now reads “Flesh and Bone Zone” in a gradient of flesh colors—the work of artist Kelly Lamb. Upon entry, Jenny Holzer’s engraved white granite bench “What a show when they tell you it won’t hurt…,” 1989, succinctly sets the tone for psychological tour de force ahead.

The conscious, decision-making mind is explored on the second floor by Laurent Grasso, Polly Borland, Matthew Day Jackson, and Marc Horowitz, to name a few. Here, the surgery rooms host sculptural work by Daniel Arsham, Matthew Day Jackson, Tony Matelli, and Nick van Woert, while Polly Borland’s “Babies” series hangs in the cheerful pediatric ward. The juxtapositions range from uncanny to twisted. Before climbing to the fourth floor psychiatric ward, guests are invited to put up their feet: In an ironic nod to a human need for comfort, the otherwise sterile ICU has been repurposed as a waiting room with furniture from the Haas Brothers, Jeff Zimmerman, James Magni, Kerry Joyce, and Holly Hunt.

Human Condition is a unique opportunity to experience artwork outside the confines of a typical art space. In using the skeletal remains of the hospital and its discarded medical supplies, artists and viewers are encouraged to explore the notion of what we leave behind—from objects to human history.

Artists in the exhibition:Nina Chanel Abney, Ashton Allen, Daniel Arsham, Gintare Bandinskaite, Tanya Batura, Katherine Bernhardt, Louise Bonnet, Polly Borland, Delia Brown, Millie Brown, Kendell Carter, Ross Chisholm, Greg Colson, Chris Cran, Gregory Crewdson, Zoe Crosher, Mira Dancy, Marc Dennis, Marlene Dumas, Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, Nicole Eisenman, Amir H. Fallah, Louis Fratino, Derek Fordjour, Danny Fox, Louisa Gagliardi, Anna Glantz, Brendan Getz, Laurent Grasso, Heidi Hahn, Michael Haight, Brian Harte, Sebastian Herzau, Katie Herzog, Jenny Holzer, Marc Horowitz, Ridley Howard, Bettina Hubby, Leonhard Hurzlmeier, Matthew Day Jackson, Joshua Jefferson, Chantal Joffe, Jordan Kasey, Hoda Kashiha, Shay Kun, Friedrich Kunath, Owen Kydd, Kelly Lamb, Jonathan Lux, Tala Madani, Robert Mapplethorpe, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Max Maslansky, Tony Matelli, Simon Mathers, Patrick McElnea, John Millei, Marilyn Minter, Theo Mercier, JoshuaNathanson, Sarah Petersen, Vernon Price, Tal R, Christopher Reynolds, Holly Rockwell, Alexander Ruthner, Lionel Sabatte, Stuart Sandford, Yves Scherer, Max Hooper Schneider, David Benjamin Sherry, Kim Simonsson, Peter Stichbury, Claire Tabouret, Johan Tahon, Mateo Tannatt, Kenneth Tam, Ed Templeton, Kristian Touborg,Nick van Woert, Mark Verabioff, Matt Wedel, Bernhard Willhelm,Jessica Williams, Bradley Wood, and Alexander Yulish.Specia

Publishers Note:
For more photos highlighted by Cindy Schwarzstein, taken during her visit on opening night, check out the instagram of Cartwheel Art. It’s there will you’ll also find videos of the “Rainbow Body Performance Crystals” by Mille Brown, a walk-through on the first floor, and the Recovery Room installation, by Amir H. Fallah,

Human Condition runs through November 30th.
Public Hours: Friday – Sunday from 11:00am – 6:00pm.
Address: 2231 S.Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90018
More details here.

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Kitchen Installation by Christopher Reynolds.

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Kitchen Installation by Christopher Reynolds.

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Work in the Autoclaves, by Kim Simonsson.

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Work in Surgery Room 5, by Tony Matelli.

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Work in Surgery Room 4 by Matt Wedel.

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Work in Surgery Room 1 by Johan Tahon.

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Work in Delivery Room 2 by by Marc Horowitz.

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Work by Lionel Sabatte.

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Work in Labor Room by Holly Rockwell.

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Work in Surgery Room 2 by Tanya Batura.

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Work on Psychiatric Floor in the Shower by Gintare Bandinskaite.

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Work by Théo Mercier on the psychiatric ward floor.

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