Al’s Grand Hotel (1971) with Public Fiction (2014)
In the spring of 1971, Allen Ruppersberg took over a two-story house located at 7175 Sunset Boulevard in
Hollywood, and converted it into a fully-functioning hotel. For the 6 weeks that followed it was a site for
gatherings, parties, performances and, of course, spending the night.
The 7 rooms were functional installations, each one themed, the materials vernacular and the air casual.
Purposefully temporary, the short-lived hotel remained in LA’s history a landmark and legend, highly
representative both of Ruppersberg’ work and of the artist run initiatives in LA’s landscape:
casual, temporary and changing, with an emphasis on experience and entrepreneurialism.
In the context of this Frieze Project, which has annually recreated a landmark artist-run initiative
(from Fashion Moda the first year, to FOOD the latter each time curated by Cecilia Alemani),
Ruppersberg has imagined less a remake of the hotel and more a re-staging via Public Fiction.
In two rooms and an adjacent lobby, Los Angeles’ Public Fiction will produce an inaccurate reenactment
of the project, a layered presentation of the original parts with a series of new interventions for
5 days and nights at the fair.
Guests who would like to spend the night are invited to call the number above and leave a message.
This experiment collides new original work with an archive of historical material to make a cross-section
between generations, a long thought over time.
We hope you enjoy your stay, at the Grand Hotel...
Lauren Mackler / Public Fiction
ps. This project was documented by a newspaper of ephemera, both old and new.
Allen Ruppersberg, Al’s Grand Hotel 1971 with Public Fiction (2014).
Commissioned and produced by Frieze Art Inc. for Frieze New York Projects 2014.
Photo of the 2014 installation by Timothy Schenck.
