We all know the Standard Hotel in LA is the perfect place to grab a drink and people watch (it’s also great for brunch!) but now it’s staking its claim as a premiere art space in the city. As part of The Standard Hotel’s rotating video art installations, The Standard Downtown LA and The Standard Hollywood will be featuring Argentinean artist Mika Rottenberg’s film “Mary’s Cherries” on projectors located throughout the building. This comes just a few months after artist Marilyn Minter had her work displayed at The Standard as well.

The Argentina-born Rottenberg is known for her unique video art installations that sheds light on issues of gender inequality and social standing. In “Mary’s Cherries” (2003), three female wrestlers perform a series of actions in small claustrophobic chambers, from pedaling exercise bikes, to powering a UV light that promotes the growth of red fingernails. Each nail is then cut and dropped through a hole in the floor where another laborer massages and rubs it, softening it so that the fingernail can be easily transformed into a sticky maraschino cherry. Yes, it’s as bizarre as it sounds and yet it’s also strangely compelling, speaking to the larger issue of exploiting women and de-personalizing their unique identities.

Rottenberg’s installation work debuted at the hotel this week and will run for six months. So even if you’re not staying at The Standard, it might be worth popping in to grab a glass of wine and take in the show. Get more details about the exhibition at www.standardhotels.com and find out more about Rottenberg’s work HERE.

- TC