Untitled (Conversation starter), 2023
72x80” Acrylic on polyester
Site specific work created for the Untitled Gallery at UCLA

The glass walls in this room are actually doors. They were intended to be opened, creating a breezeway that would house large sculptures and act as a symbolic gateway into the UCLA campus through the arts. However, due to faulty sliding hardware, the doors became stuck in place, thus becoming walls. In order to make use of the enclosed space, Untitled Cafe was opened. The coffee shop was in operation from 2008-2020, its closure was due to the fact that UCLA didn’t make enough money from it to justify keeping it staffed. The space sat empty for over a year until departments could agree on how to share it. It has since become the Untitled Gallery.

Because of the acoustic reflections from the glass walls and the emptiness of the space, this gallery suffers from severe echoes, making it difficult to hear what is being said about the art which it houses. In an effort to reduce the echoes, sound dampening blankets have been installed throughout the gallery. In an effort to encourage conversation about the art, the sound dampening blankets have been painted with adjectives taken from reviews of Untitled Cafe, which is still listed as open on Google despite being closed for three years.


References:  
Perlman, Hirsch. “Lecture #4.” Advanced Sculpture: Monuments, Commemoration, and Protest, 13 April 2023, University of California, Los Angeles. Lecture.

Evans, Ben. Interview. Conducted by Jakob Longcob. 30 May 2023.