The LAB’s Selfie-Ready Art Installation That’s as Much Entertainment as it is a Statement
Written By: Ian Hays Selfie Installation
Photographed By: Roberto Cerini Selfie Installation
The LAB in Costa Mesa has always been a little different. It’s known as an “anti-mall” for a reason. Outsiders can say what they want, but Orange County has always had a sustainable and buzzing art scene. Jasmine Jeheber is an artist and curator who was looking to bring something different. She wanted to make something interactive. She wanted a place where you can come, and not just enjoy art, but be a part of it and take pictures with it, interact with it.
That’s when she got Facade Funhouse up and going. She reached out to local Orange County artists, and had several reach out to her, and asked them to create a unique room, rules out the window.
“I wanted local artists. And I reached out to artists who only had like, a hundred Instagram followers, or so. It’s been really cool to see the attention it’s getting. This door used to be white but a guy who came by is an artist and asked if he could paint it and I said, ‘Yeah!’”
With nine close-knit “rooms,” each section is designed to inspire and evoke a different feeling. When you first pass by the space, you see the bright rainbow room from the window. Filled with a bombast of rainbow rugs, furniture—you name it. But just a few feet away, you can hop in a tub and live out your robber baron fantasies, tossing a plethora of fake bills in the air.
Too heavy-handed? Maybe the room filled with stuffed animals is more your style (aptly named the “Teddy Club.” Or, you can strike up a pose a la Audrey Hepburn in the pink room. There’s even a confetti room so you can feel like it’s New Year’s all over again.
Facade Funhouse is more than just a “selfie-store.” It’s a way to support and appreciate the talent of local artists. You need to purchase a ticket to get in, but the pictures you take and the interactions you make with the art might be the best form of appreciation you can give.
Facade Funhouse
The LAB
2930 Bristol St Selfie Installation
Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Selfie Installation
The LAB’s Latest Art Installation is a Selfie Waiting to Happen
