The City of West Hollywood announces the installation of Not every pearl has its oyster, a temporary public artwork by artist Heimir Bjorgulfsson, as part of its Art on the Outside program at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. The art installation will remain on view through March 2026.

Not every pearl has its oyster by Los Angeles-based artist Heimir Bjorgulfsson is a ready-made outdoor sculpture in the form of a traffic sign depicting a man riding a donkey and holding a carrot on a stick to lead it. The work is installed in the center of Plummer Park, between Fiesta Hall and Long Hall.

The sign sculpture sets an unexpected, unrealistic, and quite baffling scenario for viewers to observe and imagine. The intention behind the work is to prompt viewers to reflect on their relationship, expectations, and experiences of the natural vs. man-made environments and how these perceptions are shaped according to our varying cultural identities and personal characteristics. The artist wants the viewers to question their assumption of such a sign subjectively and to appreciate its awkwardness and the possibility that a narrative can take shape. In many ways, it is a tool to make the viewer imagine and put themselves into the shoes of others. The sculpture was exhibited once before, at the ‘Joshua Treenial: Event Horizon’ in Joshua Tree in 2017.

Heimir Bjorgulfsson creates artworks that introduce questions rather than offer solutions. He is interested in mankind’s clash with nature, however subtle or absurd, and its unpredictable consequences, examining how animal species adapt to changing habitats and enduring the effects of urbanization and climate change. He received his MFA from the Sandberg Institute in 2003 and his BFA from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in 2001, both in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His work has been exhibited widely in Europe and the United States in solo and group exhibitions at venues such as The Houston Museum of Fine Art, Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, Reykjavik Art Museum, National Gallery of Iceland, Gemeente Museum, The Hague; and the Biennale for Light Art, Ruhr, Germany.

The Art on the Outside Program is the City’s temporary art program that installs rotating artworks throughout the city. The artworks can include sculpture, murals, digital art, and other outdoor works. Most exhibitions remain on display between six months and three years. All projects are subject to the Art on the Outside Program Review and Approval Process through the City’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission. The program is funded through the Public Beautification & Art Fund.

The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division delivers a broad array of arts programs including Art on the Outside (temporary public art), Arts Grants, City Poet Laureate, Drag Laureate, Free Theatre in the Parks, Library Exhibits, Summer Sounds + Winter Sounds, Urban Art (permanent public art), WeHo Pride Arts Festival, and WeHo Reads. For more information about City of West Hollywood arts programming, please visit www.weho.org/arts.  

For more information about this artwork or about the Art on the Outside program, please contact Marcus Mitchell, the City of West Hollywood’s Public Art Administrator, at mmitchell@weho.org or at (323) 848-3122. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.