Costa Mesa resident to place Trump sign on ‘Monument to the Unelected’ art installation

As part of the ongoing “Monument to the Unelected” art installation, a 59th sign reading “Trump” will be placed in all eight sites across America at the same time marking his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

Nina Katchadourian’s installation consists of 58 election signs bearing the names of losing candidates of every U.S. presidential election.

The work was originally commissioned in 2008 by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art for the exhibition “Seriously Funny.” Since then, the museum has committed to show the installation every presidential election year.

“They’re so particular to a North American landscape before an election. These things pop up everywhere … I thought maybe there’s a way to work with these election signs but in a way that actually makes us think about our shared political past,” Katchadourian said in an October interview.

This year “Monument to the Unelected” was located at eight sites in New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, Arizona and California. Katchadourian invited eight first-time voters at each location to add the new sign.

For the installation hosted by Grand Central Art Center at the front lawn of an Orange private home, Costa Mesa resident Lesly Bautista was asked to place the sign.

“I felt really empowered to get the chance to be able to vote in such a crucial election and be able to change things,” Bautista said.

The 21-year-old, who is majoring in business at Orange Coast College, added that she felt relieved about the election outcome and that her whole family was on the same page politically.

Viewers are invited to tune in live to watch the sign placement over Zoom on Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. Katchadourian, hosts from participating art institutions and the first-time voters will speak during the event. The installation at the Orange location will be on view until Nov. 17.

If you go

“Monument to the Unelected” by Nina Katchadourian

Where: Zoom RSVP

When: Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.

Info: grandcentralartcenter.com

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