Event #2 - Hammer Arts Party

On Friday, May 28th, 2023, I went to the Hammer Arts Party at the Hammer Museum put on by UCLAs very own Campus Evets Commison Club (CEC). This event was free for all UCLA college students. It featured a live concert of Cruza and BJ the Chicago Kid in the museum square, after-hours gallery access, free insomnia cookies, artistic-led workshops, and temporary tattoos. 


When my friend, Jefferson (head of concerts for the CEC), told me about this event, I was ecstatic to attend as I could finally explore such a pivotal Westwood landmark. Jefferson explained that the event's goal was to allow students from the north and south sides of campus to come together and enjoy Hammer Museum's beautiful art and get to know each other better. This event was a massive success, and I succeeded at this goal. I met so many new people from various majors and backgrounds at the event. I learned so much about art, specifically how it can be used to address/make a statement about social and political issues. 

For instance, while exploring the museum, I was drawn to Chinese artist Yang Zhenzhong's "Lucky Family" Collection, Specifically his "Lucky Family 4 (Chicken) piece. Upon first look, I thought it was simply just a picture of some chickens. However, my friend told me she had learned about this piece in one of her classes and that the artists created the piece to comment on China's one-child policy. She explained that this policy was introduced to China in 1979 to slow population growth. In this piece, the rooster is presented as the lucky patriarch of the family, with the hens representing his "lucky" wives or concubines. This highlights the gender preferences and emphasis on luck and fortune that were prevalent under the One Child Policy and how this may have influenced attitudes towards childbearing. 
Source: Artsy (listed bellow)

Overall, this event allowed me to meet new people from across the campus and gave me a deeper appreciation of art. It taught me the importance of understanding the backstory behind each piece to properly understand the artist's purpose behind creating it. 

Works Cited

 

Chakrabarti, Anika, and Shengfeng Chien. “Gallery: Hammer Student Association Hosts Annual Arts Party at Hammer Museum.” Daily Bruin, https://dailybruin.com/2023/05/03/gallery-hammer-student-association-hosts-annual-arts-party-at-hammer-museum.

“Cruel Youth Diary: Chinese Photography and Video from the Haudenschild Collection.” Hammer Museum, https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2023/cruel-youth-diary-chinese-photography-and-video-haudenschild-collection.

“Yang Zhenzhong: Lucky Family 4 (1995).” Artsy, https://www.artsy.net/artwork/yang-zhenzhong-lucky-family-4.




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