Kelly Akashi and Phil Peters Transform Burned Altadena Home into Art

Over Memorial Day weekend, Kelly Akashi and Phil Peters presented 'Field Set,' a two-day exhibition on the remains of Akashi's Altadena home, destroyed by the Eaton Fire. Akashi's sculptures include glass pieces blending with a new garden planted after the fire, a V-shaped nest of charred branches with a glass sphere, and an archway of branches on steel beams. Her work contrasts with her Whitney Biennial piece 'Monument (Altadena),' a glass-brick replica of the home's fireplace. Peters' sound installation plays recordings of demolition and reconstruction from the site, captured over the past year, using three black speakers. The sounds include saws, concrete smashing, and workers' voices, blurring art and labor. Performances by Celia Hollander and Paul McCarthy occurred on Saturday and Sunday nights. The exhibition was organized by Los Angeles Nomadic Division.