Elena Kovylina / Group XXI, Oct 05 - Mar 06

LOVE AFTER THE COLD WAR IN AN OPEN HOUSE OF A (RE) CONSTRUCTED BABYLON BY A POPULAR MECHANIC

3/10/06 to 3/12/06

MAK Center at the Mackey Apartments, 1137 - 1141 South Cochran Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

In appreciation of the hospitality they felt from art and architecture professionals, the residents presented – beside their final projects – works by Los Angeles colleagues in the Mackey Penthouse, a guest apartment. Exhibition artists included Jonathan Ballak, Mika Cho, Zoe Crosher, Skylar Haskard, Nicholas Kersulis, Mayumi Date, Arthur Ou, Nicola Stäglich, Melissa Tolar, Sergio Torres and Richard Wearn. Rob Faucette performed the Heartsink Sound of Amy Radio, which was broadcast with an FM-sender throughout the apartments.

Russian artist Elena Kovylina explored the potency of the Hollywood dream in her project "Love After the Cold War." She wrote a screenplay, announced a new Russian-American co-production, and conducted casting sessions for movie-star hopefuls, including both scripted and improvisational work. In the exhibition, Kovylina presented photographic and video materials from these sessions to highlight the discrepancies between the images Hollywood projects and the reality encountered by those in pursuit of the idealized dream.