Recent visitors to LACMA have noticed that the center of the BP Grand Entrance is now filled with a dense forest of bright, colorful plastic. The aptly titled HappyHappy is Korean artist Choi Jeong-Hwa’s site-specific installation created for the upcoming exhibition Your Bright Future: 12 Contemporary Artists from Korea (June 28–September 20, 2009). When the exhibition opens, visitors will be allowed to walk through HappyHappy and discover that the explosion of abstract shapes and saccharine colors are actually nothing more than floor-to-ceiling strands of thousands of household containers procured from local 99¢ stores.
Choi is considered the father of Korean pop art, and his enduring interest in popular materials and consumer culture is evident when you move through the rows and rows of plastic containers, many of which are manufactured in Asia and found in many Korean homes.
Consider this a sneak preview of Choi’s work. Installation of Welcome, a second site-specific project that will transform the façade of the Ahmanson Building, starts today…
Michele Urton, Assistant Curator
Unframed The LACMA Blog 
This will be an exciting temporary addition. I especially enjoy watching people hesitate when interactive museum pieces are introduced, as with some of Franz West’s pieces. That moment when they surrender to the joy of breaking the don’t-touch museum barrier is so filled with energy.
Um, OK, why isnt this at the childrens museum. Really, someone explain how this has anything to do with what anyone outside of an artschool would call art.
Imperial Clothing
More conspicuous consumption and waste in an age where we must now finally grow up and conserve what is important.
It is time to put aside childish things. Your hero, Obama’s words.
This is what he was talking about.
[…] LACMA’s blog says it’s “actually nothing more than floor-to-ceiling strands of thousands of household containers procured from local 99¢ stores.” […]
I don’t think this is what Obama was talking about, Donald. You should lighten up and stop being so angry 🙂 The colors are pretty and fun to look at. They make me happy, and I look forward to touching them!
“More conspicuous consumption and waste”
I think that is part of the statement they are trying to make. Try reading between the lines.
There is nothing to read, it is entertainment, stop asking such shallow and absurd questions. They mean nothing. And are a waste of time, and most certainly are NOT art.
Like I said, at the Childrens museum, fine, in a limited way. But then, children took over art long ago, and made it irrelevant to society. And so the numbers who go are down, and ages up, as few go to see such nonsense as this, except art school grads, Now thats a childish endeavor. Art is OUT THERE, go live it, and you will see the inanity of such “works” as this andd most else of the last few decades. Art has been forgotten, and become a lifestyle, fashion, and entertainment.
Not creative art.
And so
art collegia delenda est
art colleges must be destroyed, the inmates have taken over the asylum, no great artist has ever graduated from one. Art is about living, not about sheltered academic doodling.
Imperial Clothing, read it.
I agree in not producing excess waste, but in defence of the artist, everything used in this installation can easily be re used. Doesn’t seem at all wasteful to me.
Installations are “creative art” as much as any other artform. They just aren’t for everyone. I’m not a fan of 90% of what I see in galleries, but I still respect it. You can’t please everyone. If you could, life, and art would be boring.
Oh yeah! Outsanding colors, and the best part is YOU’RE ALLOWED TO TOUCH! Woohoo! I hate keeping my hands in my pockets.