Unknown to most residents, Los Angeles was the birthplace and an essential and critical influence on Tiki culture. The first Tiki bars were built in California.
In August 2009 - as Hawaii celebrates 50 years of statehood - we will look at the remnants of the early Californian "tiki" style, its places and memorabilia: Hawaiian shirts, grass huts, hula dancers, leis, and the tiki themselves: totem-like representations of island gods.
PAST: August 21,1959. Hawaii becomes a state. Hawaiian statehood is a driving force in the emergence of Tiki and its subsequent influence on Southern Californian architecture, design and art. Fifty years later we look back at Tiki’s influence on Los Angeles and Southern California.
PRESENT: Southern California and more broadly, the US, is again in a culturally transformative period. Tiki is poised to be remixed for a new generation looking to escape, set aside responsibilities and reconsider the age of the consumer. Since the beginning of the current recession, there has been a resurgence of Tiki bars all over the country (See Wall Street Journal article also on resurgence of Tiki). What is Tiki in 2009 and how is a new generation shaping its meaning and relevance? And how can Tiki help us better understand the history and the mythology of Los Angeles?
HAPPENINGS:
Tiki is a unique place in the collective imagination. Tiki is, at its core, a visceral experience, a sensory indulgence. In order to “get” Tiki one must experience the physicality of the artifacts, architecture - and of course, the drinks.
Tiki Trek: Architectural Tour
Architectural Tour in partnership with deLab (design East of La Brea).
Tiki Pop-Up Speakeasy
A pop-up tiki bar for one night in Los Angeles: more info on this on short notice.
Tikitown, USA map:
Tiki is inherently ephemeral and the Tikitown, USA map will serve to illustrate this transience and how that physically correlates to Los Angeles. Acting as a treasure guide of sorts for a lost urban culture, the map allows both locals and visitors to discover another story LA has to tell.
