Refinery29’s whimsical funhouse expanded west for the first time this year, taking over a parking lot in the Arts District for two weekends in December. 29Rooms Los Angeles—held at Row DTLA from December 7 to 10 and 14 to 17—features installations by contemporary artists, celebrities, and brands, all centered around the socially conscious theme of “Turn It To Art”: using the power of creativity to drive positive change.
“Three years ago, we kicked off 29Rooms in New York City as an experiment,” said Refinery29 co-founder and executive creative director Piera Gelardi. “We wanted to create a space that was a celebration of creativity and embraced storytelling through experiential. Given the momentum of the event, we decided that this year was the right year to expand, and Los Angeles was the right place to expand to because it's a mosaic of so many industries, cultures, and ideas. With legendary film roots, a vibrant art and music scene, and the ever-growing convergence of tech, entertainment, and media—we thought it would be the perfect stage to activate people's creativity.”
While the pop-up's New York counterpart—which was held in September—had the same theme, the sold-out Los Angeles edition offers 13 colorful new rooms designed by the likes of Demi Lovato, Janelle Monáe, Margot Robbie, Lilly Singh, and more, as well as brands such as Adidas, Google Pixel 2, Netflix, and Urban Decay Cosmetics. Popular rooms from this year’s New York event were included, such as installations from Jill Soloway, Chloe x Halle, and Planned Parenthood.
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Also new in Los Angeles was the "29Rooms After Dark" option, where guests paid more for a less-crowded experience, plus cocktails, live performances, and a chance to tour the installations with the creators themselves. Refinery29 also used the L.A. event to launch a new collection of merchandise including 29Rooms T-shirts, stickers, beanies, and more; a portion of sales go to Los Angeles-based charity Step Up.
Like in New York, the experience took 200 people to build over the span of one month. The landscape of Los Angeles, however, created some intrinsic changes. “One big difference between L.A. and New York City is recognizing accessibility and the logistical aspects of how people see and experience the space,” said Gelardi. “In New York, most places can be reached via subway, whereas in Los Angeles, most people get around via cars. In both places, we worked to find a physical location that is within proximity to a large group of people and to navigate arrivals, queues, and neighborhood suggestions.”
The west coast event also took over a different type of space. “We've moved into a completely new type of venue—an enormous domed tent,” explained Gelardi. “It feels a little like a spaceship on the inside and we are really excited to transport folks into a new world. Our funhouse in New York has always been based in warehouses, so it has been really wonderful to branch out of what we know to create something beyond what people have experienced before.”
Beyond the changes, what remains is an artsy, unique playground made from thousands of unconventional materials, including 2,500 pounds of pink sand, 1,800 pounds of gold Mylar confetti, 1,500 yards of yarn, 3,000 plastic bags, 71 disco balls, 1,500 flowers, 162 mirrors, and even 10,000 condoms. Perhaps the most eye-popping number of all is the social impressions: 29Rooms is expected to generate 950-million social-media impressions, reaching one-in-two Instagram users worldwide.
Click through the slide show to see some of the unusual details and inspiring art from the eight-day event, which is expected to draw nearly 25,000 people from 28 states and 10 countries.
The room by actress and singer Janelle Monáe tackles the intersection of art and technology, specifically the ideas of mass surveillance. More than 160 mirrors document visitors’ moves, then display the footage on screens on the heads of mannequins.
The room by spoken-word artist Ashlee Haze, conceptual artist Jonathan Rosen, and art-tech company Wallplay is one of may spaces to play up themes of empowerment. On the walls are words of self-acceptance from Haze, while an interactive mirror from Rosen flipps through a series of positive affirmations.
Singer Demi Lovato’s installation is a black-and-white temporary tattoo parlor where guests can turn their personal journey and struggles into art. Five tattoo options, inspired by Lovato’s own tattoos, feature messages of courage and self-confidence.
Water brand Perrier and artist Hottea created a colorful installation made from 1,500 linear yards of yarn. Guests can immerse themselves in scented listening booths designed to inspire creativity. Each area is marked with a tongue-in-cheek phrase based on the flavor, such as “You’re one in a melon” and “I love your zest for life.”
Entertainer Lilly Singh also focused her installation on female empowerment, presenting women as superheroes and attempting to break down the cycle of girl-on-girl hate. Refinery29 staffers acted as models for the painted work. Attendees are also invited to enter a phone booth and call a female friend to spread a message of love.
Transparent creator Jill Soloway and artists Xavier Schipani recreated a gender-neutral high-school bathroom where visitors can hear first-person stories about gender identity from Roberta Colindrez, Rhys Ernst, Alexandra Grey, Amos Mac, Bashir Naim, and Pigeon Pagonis. Graffiti on the walls includes phrases such as “Defy the hand you’re dealt” and “Every body welcome.”
Toyota created a surrealist room that aims to show how it feels to drive its new 2018 Camry. Guests can climb inside the car and check out a futuristic space depicting astronauts, 3-D butterflies, and other quirky details.
A colorful, interactive fairground is a collaboration between Google Pixel 2 and artist Nina Chanel Abney. In addition to games and slides, the space features thought-provoking artwork adorned with phrases such as “Does identity have to mean one thing?” and “We are all the same.”
In a room created by Belletrist book club founders Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, a larger-than-life typewriter is adorned with a quote from Joan Didion. Aiming to celebrate female authors and the art of storytelling alive, dozens of empty books are available for attendees to write in. New to the Los Angeles edition, Belletrist is partnering with L.A.-based book-donation service Re-Book It and local store the Last Bookstore; attendees are invited to donate used books throughout the two weekends.
I, Tonya star Margot Robbie’s installation features a mountain of 206 trophies, plus flags that attendees can wave for an empowering photo op.
A surreal floral landscape was created in collaboration with Marc Jacobs Fragrances to celebrate its Daisy scent.
Adidas offers a running energy station aimed to inspire attendees. The clean, bright space was lit with 12,000 LED pixels.Â
In a dim, speakeasy-like space, guests can write down their most vivid dreams, then singer Darby Walker will interpret them through song. The surreal, interactive jazz club is a collaboration between Walker and artist Juno Calypso.
Twenty-five hundred pounds of pink sand make up SheaMoisture’s room. The peaceful space, which is surrounded by a canopy of tree silhouettes, allows guests to relax and watch videos discussing the impact of the brand’s ethical supply chain.
While not one of the official rooms, Refinery29 and Cotton Incorporated created an on-site installation that raises awareness of the recycling process for jeans. Three-hundred pairs of recycled denim jeans created a flat house, which is an optical illusion that changes perspectives depending on where guests are standing.
