HB5: Night Moves

Downtown Los Angeles

Karim Shuquem, Die Kunstkammer, wine crates, several trophies, candles, ceramic humans, plaster elephant, dimensions variable

Opening

Oct 30-31, 2021, 8-10pm

Location

Bendix Building Rooftop
(11th floor)
1206 Maple Ave.
Los Angeles

The iconic red Bendix sign illuminates the fifth iteration of the nomadic High Beams exhibition on the evenings of October 30 and 31 from the rooftop of the Bendix Building in downtown Los Angeles.

Titled High Beams No. 5: Night Moves, the exhibition marks the first High Beams exhibition accessible only by foot. A collective of collectives created during the height of the pandemic, High Beams’ previous shows are viewable from the safety of one’s car.

While the exhibition takes people outside of their cars, masks remain required, and Halloween costumes are encouraged. The exhibition also marks the first two-night event for High Beams.

Many of the artists creating works for High Beams No. 5 respond to the breathtaking views of downtown Los Angeles from the top of the legendary building, including Jamie Hamilton’s 12- x 25-foot aerial net that allows people to lay back and relax while taking in the lights of L.A.; Chelsea Boxwell’s fabric pillars that mimic the forms of nearby skyscrapers; Ben Jackel’s ceramic hanging airplane that gently drifts high in the clouds; and Ismael de Anda III’s interactive video installation that uses drone technology and projections for an evolving tableau of the downtown skyline.

“With each exhibition, High Beams has evolved to bring innovative art to the public in accessible settings,” said co-curator Katya Usvitsky. “In Night Moves, a name we playfully came up with in honor of the 1976 Bob Seger song, we added the sexy vibe of the red-lit rooftop and made the show two nights to bring in more art lovers.”

For Night Moves, High Beams curators Carl Baratta and Katya Usvitsky of TSALA and Dani Dodge and Sean Noyce of Durden and Ray brought together artists from their collectives, as well as 515, CACtTUS, Last Ditch, LAST Projects, Monte Vista Projects, Museum Adjacent, and San Francisco Artists Alumni.

The Bendix Building is located at 1206 Maple Ave., 11th floor, Los Angeles, Calif. 90015. The exhibition is open to the public from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with entrance limited to 40 people on the roof at any one time.

All photos by Dylan Roscover, unless otherwise noted. Video by L.A. Art Documents.

“In Night Moves, a name we playfully came up with in honor of the 1976 Bob Seger song, we added the sexy vibe of the red-lit rooftop and made the show two nights to bring in more art lovers.”

— Katya Usvitsky, organizer