Summer exhibitions: Refashioning and David Medalla

The Hammer Museum at UCLA is pleased to announce its summer exhibition season, led by Refashioning: CFGNY & Wataru Tominaga and David Medalla: In Conversation with the Cosmos. 

Originally presented at the Japan Society, New York, in 2022–23, Refashioning is the Hammer’s first fashion-forward exhibition, featuring transdisciplinary artists and fashion designers Concept Foreign Garments New York (CFGNY) and Wataru Tominaga. Highlighting garments, accessories, and textile works, the exhibition examines the ways in which these two practices—one based in New York, the other in Tokyo—challenge preconceived notions of gender and identity, and in particular what the artists describe as “vaguely Asian” aesthetics. The exhibition will be on view June 9–August 4.

Organized by the Hammer Museum, David Medalla: In Conversation with the Cosmos is the first comprehensive survey in the United States dedicated to the late Filipino artist David Medalla (1938–2020), an influential figure in twentieth-century art. The exhibition, which is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue, contextualizes the elusive and experimental practice of an artist whose pioneering work spanned kinetic, performance, and participatory art movements. The exhibition will be on view at the Hammer June 9–September 15.

Hammer Museum director Ann Philbin said, “Refashioning and David Medalla are two incredibly distinct exhibitions, yet both navigate around slippery notions of identity and queerness. I am excited to share the provocative fashions of CFGNY and Wataru Tominaga with Los Angeles, as their work blurs the line between garments and artmaking. I am equally thrilled to present this important retrospective of David Medalla, which is the result of many years of research and study by the Hammer’s interim chief curator, Aram Moshayedi.”

Refashioning: CFGNY and Wataru Tominaga
Wide-ranging in their output, the work of CFGNY and Wataru Tominaga is united by an open-ended, pluralistic approach that views fashion as a vessel for new dialogues. Drawing on broad sources for inspiration—from the quotidian attire of New York’s Chinatown residents to the Japanese cute or “kawaii” aesthetic—CFGNY’s work stems from the idea that fashion is relational, and clothes can be used to cultivate new forms of kinship. This idea of bringing together disparate elements to create a new whole is also evident in the creation of emerging fashion designer, Wataru Tominaga. Based in Tokyo, Japan but with a global perspective informed by his international education and work experience with fashion houses like John Galliano and collaborations with brands like Marimekko, Tominaga’s work layers unexpected cultural references, vibrant colors, patterns, and maximalist volumes to create gender-fluid designs. 

Refashioning: CFGNY and Wataru Tominaga was organized by Japan Society, New York and curated by Tiffany Lambert, curator. The presentation at the Hammer is organized by Erin Christovale, curator, with Nika Chilewich, former curatorial assistant, and Ikechúkwú Onyewuenyi, curatorial associate. Generous support for Refashioning: CFGNY and Wataru Tominaga is provided by The Japan Foundation and Sonya Yu. Additional support provided by Thomas Lavin.

David Medalla: In Conversation with the Cosmos
Born in Manila, Philippines, David Medalla is an artist primarily known for his “biokinetic” sculptures produced in London in the 1960s. As cofounder of the influential gallery Signals London, Medalla played a vital role in introducing important global artists such as Lygia Clark, Jesús Rafael Soto, and Takis (Panayiotis Vassilakis) to Britain. In the late 1960s Medalla founded the Exploding Galaxy, an 3 experimental performance group that enacted happenings in public settings across London and performed as an opening act for Pink Floyd and other rock groups. For more than six decades, Medalla presented artworks, installations, and performances in a variety of venues across the globe, from small artist-run spaces to major museums.

David Medalla: In Conversation with the Cosmos is organized by Aram Moshayedi, interim chief curator, with Nyah Ginwright, curatorial assistant. Major support for David Medalla: In Conversation with the Cosmos is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Generous support is provided by Karen Hillenburg, and Christine Meleo Bernstein and Armyan Bernstein. Additional support is provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, David Regan and Edgar Cervantes, John Auerbach and Edward Tang, Beth and Ken Karmin, and Edward Lee.

Press preview
The press preview for both exhibitions takes place on June 8. Please email Santiago Pazos, Hammer Museum Senior PR Manager, at spazos@hammer.ucla.edu