A new exhibition at Pasadena’s Gold Bug Gallery, located at 38 E. Holly Street, presents a collection of mysterious artifacts allegedly unearthed during recent renovations of the historic building.
The site-specific installation, titled “Recently Discovered Artifacts,” opens with a reception featuring the artist on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 6 to 9 p.m., with drinks and hors d’oeuvres provided by neighboring restaurant Bone Kettle.
The exhibition reimagines an early 20th-century museum display, complete with forged archaeological documentation and scholarly discourse about ritual objects purportedly discovered in the gallery’s back room.
While some objects may date to the 19th century, Griswold’s installation draws inspiration from the Cave of Trophonios, an ancient Greek oracular shrine, suggesting clandestine rituals occurred after 1910.
“This installation seeks to tap into the enduring fascination we share with the ancients to allow ourselves to be coaxed and primed into a more receptive, insightful state to satisfy our deeply human need to find a sense of wonder, marvel and connection ‘beyond the veil’,” a statement from Gold Bug Gallery said.
Griswold, whose work examines classical mythology, has amassed a lexicon of symbolic devices from ancient sources, antiquarian emblem books, baroque mythology and alchemical treatises.
Gold Bug, established in 2007, operates as a retail/gallery space with a Wunderkammer museum atmosphere, where visitors can respectfully explore collections of handmade art pieces and natural specimens.
The exhibition remains on view through Jan. 12, 2025, with gallery hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 38 E. Holly Street, Pasadena.
To check holiday hours, visit https://www.goldbugpasadena.
Gold Bug, situated in Old Pasadena’s 22-block National Register Historic District, is accessible by major bus lines and two Metro A Line stops.
