Dr. Moodswing and Dr. Feelgood await visitors at the entrance. Donning crisp white lab coats, they prepare to check you in with a neon orange patient wristband. However, this hospital differs from the typical kind. Named the ‘Hospital of Emotions,’ it is an immersive art experience examining the spectrum of human emotions within the historic St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Founded in 1856 by the Daughters of Charity religious order, the hospital aimed to treat impoverished individuals before its bankruptcy in 2020. Private investors later acquired the site, planning to convert it into a homeless shelter and mental health facility. The first phase is due to open this year. Until the end of September, the facility hosts 80 art installations by 70 artists, turning clinical spaces into colorful explorations of feelings.
The project transforms the sterile hospital into a vivid reflection of emotions ranging from medical trauma to grief over broader societal issues.
Popular among art-as-entertainment venues like Meow Wolf, the installation features color-coded creatures that symbolize emotions such as joy, hope, anger, and sadness. Imagine a fuzzy orange monster grinning behind a nurse’s station or green giants portraying jealousy in an exam room with exaggerated clown-like features. IV bags filled with rainbow hues and flower-adorned exam lights enhance the whimsical setting.
The ‘Resilience Department’ offers a prismatic, glass butterfly amidst an unsettling audio experience of an artist’s epileptic seizure. In headphones, the contrast between labored breathing and screams creates a surreal atmosphere. Nearby, an exhibit features a thousand fried eggs spread across the room. Artist Melan Allen explains these represent her childhood experiences with a disliked food. Sharon Maxwell, traveling from San Diego, connects deeply with the exhibit, reflecting her own journey through eating disorder recovery and hospital stays.
Maxwell remarks on how visiting an art show in a hospital leads to a sense of connection. Unlike typical hospital visits, there are no doctors, patients, or nurses, leveling the playing field for all visitors to explore.
Anxiety, Fear, and Trauma
The ‘Fear Department’ includes a virtual character offering a heartfelt insight into post-traumatic stress from combat and reading an AI-generated suicide note. Another room features frenetic black-and-white portraits portraying fear, crafted by an artist who endured 15 months in a U.S. immigration detention center. Grisha Stepanian recounts leaving Russia in 2022 due to political beliefs and the search for safety, which turned into an engagement with fear. His work captures the lasting imprint of fear even when safety seems at hand.
Dongpu Ling’s eerie installation includes transparent figures made from packing tape, inspired by her grandfather’s vision of ghosts before his death. These blank-faced entities embody her grandfather’s hospital experience in Shanghai and draw from Ling’s own childhood hospital stay, marked by severe illness. She describes a chilling experience in the hospital basement, a stark reminder of life’s fragility and the unyielding cold of finality.
Recognizing Emotional Resilience
Ondrea Boggs, an ultrasound technician, views the installations as a testament to human resilience amid trials. Having worked in intensive care and emergency settings, she observes the strength patients and families display during challenging moments. She advocates for recognizing the simultaneous experiences of joy and sadness, asserting that they are not exclusive but can coexist.
Many visitors find comfort in the shared emotional expressions portrayed in the art. Maxwell highlights the value of being seen in expressions of joy, celebration, sorrow, or pain. This art exhibit offers a depiction of human experience, showcasing emotion in a profound manner.
Tickets for the ‘Hospital of Emotions’ are available at $58. The exhibit runs until September 30, 2026.