MOCA Los Angeles Explores Altered States in 'Ecstasy' Exhibition

From October 9, 2005 to February 20, 2006, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles presented 'Ecstasy: In and About Altered States,' an exhibition curated by Paul Schimmel. The show examined the relationship between art and altered states of consciousness through two perspectives: works created by artists while in an altered state ('Altered States In') and installations that induce a similar experience in viewers ('Altered States About'). Featured artists included Fred Tomaselli, Tom Friedman, Olafur Eliasson (with 'Your Strange Certainty Still Kept,' 1996), Massimo Bartolini ('Head n°8 [museum],' 2004), Charles Ray ('Yes,' 1990), Roxy Paine ('Psilocybe Cubensis Field,' 1997), Carsten Höller ('Upside-Down Mushroom Room,' 2000), Chiho Aoshima ('City Glow,' 2005), and Pierre Huyghe ('L'Expédition scintillante, Acte 2,' 2002). The exhibition drew on historical references to artists from the late 18th century onward who used substances like absinthe and hashish, citing Walter Benjamin's reflections on intoxication and creativity. The show included a catalog with an essay by Gloria Sutton.