In a note written in 1962, artist Claes Oldenburg stated that “theater is the most powerful art form because it is the most involving.” A few lines later he added, “I no longer see the distinction between theater and visual arts very clearly . . . distinctions I suppose are a civilized disease.” Featuring props and sculptures; stages and pedestals; actors, impersonators, and avatars; as well as the ghostly image of the audience itself, Fictions of Display explores intertwined themes of theater, performance, and display in MOCA’s permanent collection, foregrounding strategies and modes of presentation that permeate museum spaces.
At the core of this exhibition are works from Oldenburg’s immersive, performative project The Store (1961–62), in which he made and sold renditions of everyday consumer goods. These works set the tone for a broader exploration of how objects are not only displayed but also staged and circulated. Alongside these well-known objects, Fictions of Display includes a selection of documents from the Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen papers, kindly loaned by the Getty Research Institute.
Fictions of Display also introduces several new acquisitions, as well as works that have never been installed in MOCA’s galleries, such as the painting by groundbreaking Polish theater director Tadeusz Kantor, known for his avant-garde and deeply personal approach to performance, and Catherine Sullivan’s video installation, which merges theater, film, and visual art to examine systems of acting and representation. A live element is subtly woven into the gallery experience: for Tania Pérez Córdova’s Portrait of an Unknown Person Passing By, a performer quietly circulates among visitors at unannounced times, dressed in a garment matching the pattern of a ceramic object on display.
Featured artists: Eleanor Antin, ASCO, Ana Barrado, Math Bass, Joseph Beuys, Mark Bradford, Brassaï, Nancy Brooks Brody, Colette, Fiona Connor, Tania Pérez Córdova, Guy de Cointet, Raúl De Nieves, Lukas Duwenhögger, Thomas Eggerer, Victor Estrada, VALIE EXPORT, Ali Eyal, Peter Fischli, Dan Flavin, Robert Gober, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Félix González-Torres, Joe Goode, Dan Graham, Yaron Michael Hakim, Lyle Ashton Harris, Evan Holloway, Christian Holstad, Rebecca Horn, Roni Horn, Donald Judd, Brian Jungen, Tadeusz Kantor, Mike Kelley, Toba Khedoori, Martin Kippenberger, Terence Koh, Louise Lawler, An-My Lê, William Leavitt, Charles LeDray, Nikki S. Lee, Sherrie Levine, Los Carpinteros, Paul McCarthy, Steve McQueen, Ana Mendieta, Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Senga Nengudi, Kayode Ojo, Claes Oldenburg, Yoko Ono, Silke Otto-Knapp, Roxy Paine, Giuseppe Penone, Sondra Perry, Julia Phillips, Sigmar Polke, Monique Prieto, Reynaldo Rivera, Beverly Semmes, Cindy Sherman, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Catherine Sullivan, Atsuko Tanaka, Wolfgang Tillmans, Cosima von Bonin, Marnie Weber, Johanna Went, Pae White, Hannah Wilke.
Fictions of Display is organized by José Luis Blondet, Senior Curator, with Paula Kroll, Curatorial Assistant.
Exhibitions at MOCA are supported by the MOCA Fund for Exhibitions with major funding provided by Tatiana Botton, The Goodman Family Foundation, and Alicia Miñana and Robert Lovelace. Generous funding is provided by Michael and Zelene Fowler, The Earl and Shirley Greif Foundation, Pamela and Jarl Mohn, Jonathan Segal, the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation, and Pamela West.
MOCA Members' Preview Day
MOCA Focus: Takako Yamaguchi + Fictions of Display
Saturday, June 28, 2025
11am–6pm
All MOCA members are invited to the Members’ Preview Day! Bring a friend and enjoy an exclusive first look at the new exhibitions before they open to the public. If you're not a member, memberships start at $30; find the best level for you and join today!
Artist Conversation with Catherine Sullivan
Sunday, June 29, 2025
1pm
FREE with RSVP
Join us on opening day to hear exhibiting artist Catherine Sullivan talk about her work in relation to the themes of the collection exhibition Fictions of Display.
