Spend This Weekend At The Hospital Of Emotions

The recently opened Hospital of Emotions in Los Angeles, is a large-scale immersive art exhibition that transforms a former hospital into a multi-sensory journey. What was once the abandoned St. Vincent Medical Center is now filled with life. This historic hospital closed during the Covid pandemic, and with the help of The Jed Foundation, the organizers took over this medical setting as a metaphor for emotional well-being rather than physical illness.

This family-friendly interactive exhibit explores the spectrum of human emotions. Sound, light, smell and digital media tell a story throughout multiple departments on different floors. Experience what joy, grief, fear, hope, love, resilience and healing look like in the eyes of the artist in a thought-provoking environment.

Each hospital room is different and unique. The artist's name and vision about the room is displayed by the entrance door. Here are highlights of 6 of the 80 rooms across four floors:

The Hug Room - Resilience Department

Artist Nathalie Auzepy transforms an ER room into a comforting space. She uses soft arms to evoke the arms of family, friends, caregivers and universal love. It's a tribute to those who help those suffering from an illness and the solitude it can sometimes bring. "We we are fragile, both body and soul have a deep need for warmth, human contact and tenderness," states Auzepy. "The installation becomes an architecture of hugs and compassion."

Twister - Joy Department

Artist Javiera Estrada incorporated the game of Twister played on a living room floor to evoke joy. The theme of this thought provoking installation inside a hospital room is about community. "In an era increasingly shaped by digital connection and distance," stated Estrada. "Twister recalls a form of play rooted in physical presence and human interaction." Laughter while playing the game as bodies intertwine brings joy throughout the space.

The Transfusion - Hope Department

Michelle Lougee's forest represents resiliency and interconnectedness of a healthy forest. The centerpiece is a tree trunk in a hospital bed. The suspended IV bags act as a fragmented archive of the biome. "Each bag contains a single element of nature," states Lougee. "Fungi, seedpods, insects and mosses perform life support for a collapsed community member. This space evokes a sense of loss, but also renewed commitment to preserve the magic of our environment."

The Anatomy of a Bloom - Love Department

Artist Santa Gross designed a 360-degree narrative cycle where the viewer is stepping into a heartbeat. "The murals bleed into one another," states Gross. The room is "mimicking the fluid and often unpredictable transition between emotional states of love."

Hope Department

Greg Corbino uses post-consumer cardboard boxes for his installation of a forest of woven trees. "Like root systems and mycelial networks, the woven paper structures rely on interconnection for strength," states Corbino. The forest exists through relationships - no single tree stands alone."

THE EGG ROOM

Melan Allen transforms a former hospital room into a surreal view on birth, fragility, and vulnerability. She made 1,000 ceramic eggs and an oversized yolk on the hospital bed that blurs the line between comfort and unease. This prompts the viewer to think about renewal after difficult experiences.

Other artists include Mônica Lóss | Lenny Gerard | David Otis Johnson | Anna Matsumoto | Bhumikorn Kongtaveelert | Heather Bellino | Evan Wood | lisa waud | Jonathan Elkies | Kunna Haan | Rebecca Ann Carver | Olivia Barrionuevo- Minkin | Allison Reber | Yaara Sachs | Dioz | Margüi | Madeline Verbica | DAK (David A Knudsen) | Caratoes | Dr. Maryam Trebeau | Kim Farbota | Pablo Thomas | Heriberto Gomes | Tommii Lim | Tara Rey | Michael Keppler | Alex Kemp | Alon Cohen Raz | Miran Nudell| Amit Greenberg | NYCHOS | Gil Hayun | Oshri Elmorich | Krisia kiki Powell | Mariell Guzman | John F. Malta | Jeremy Wojchihosky | Nellie Xie | Moran Sanderovich | Natalia Pavlova | Napo | KASEMONSTER | Corrie Sullivan | It’s A Living | Greg Corbino | Dmitry Kemell | Christoph Florin | Tyler Goldfarb | Mark Girgis | Ginger Pearson | Scene Shift Collective | Adam Kyron Murillo | Leslie K Monroy | Ray Karam | Sayoko Osada | Elif Sezgin | Kara Greenwell | Sandra Monty | Tim Schwartz | grisha stepanian | cosmo

TICKETS

Parking is available in the hospital lot for $20 or there is meter street parking. Purchase tickets online.