Nao Bustamante Opens Grave Gallery in Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Artist Nao Bustamante has launched a new exhibition space called Grave Gallery in a two-square-meter plot at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, adjacent to the tomb of painter Ed Moses. The opening on February 19, 2023, featured a performance where Bustamante, dressed in black with a gold mask and a Victorian megaphone, shouted at visitors before toasting and shedding tears. The inaugural exhibition includes Karen Lofgren's sculpture "Restoration Action Piece" (2022), made of fiberglass, cement, wax, and gold leaf, resembling a tombstone and originally created for a performance by Ron Athey. Bustamante, a Chicana artist and educator from the San Joaquin Valley, has long explored themes of death, having previously created a "deathbed portrait" and held seances, including one targeting Dr. J. Marion Sims for his experiments on enslaved Black women. The project is in collaboration with Track 16 Gallery, marking Bustamante's first experience running an art space. Her practice draws on Mexican Día de Muertos traditions, emphasizing community. Hollywood Forever Cemetery hosts an annual Day of the Dead celebration with family altars. Bustamante provided visitors with a QR code linking to a map of graves of deceased artists buried there, including Judy Garland, Holly Woodlawn, and Mickey Rooney. Future plans for the plot include a garden, projections, augmented reality experiences, a stage for performances, and even a hot tub.