Artifacts from an Unborn Empire: Reimagining Civilizations and Memory

Public Art and Civic Reflection in Glendale

Glendale’s public funding of art sets the stage for Artifacts from an Unborn Empire, a group exhibition hosted at the Brand Library & Art Center. Curated by Jason Jenn and Vojislav Radovanović, the exhibition gathers twenty-three contemporary artists to examine how civilizations are imagined, constructed, documented, and remembered.

Examining Power, History, and Identity

Opening during the 250th anniversary of the United States, the exhibition reflects on the life cycles of nations and empires. Rather than reinforcing established narratives, the artists offer alternative possibilities and critical revisions that challenge familiar assumptions about power, progress, and permanence. Through both critical and poetic lenses, their works investigate the systems, symbols, myths, and material methods societies use to understand themselves—exploring themes of colonialism, memory, inheritance, labor, migration, language, and cultural mythmaking. Ultimately, the exhibition prompts viewers to consider who holds the authority to define history, culture, and belonging, whom societal structures benefit, and what may emerge as culture constantly changes.

Materiality as Evidence and Invention

Created specifically for the Brand Library & Art Center, the project engages directly with the library as both a repository of knowledge and a living civic space, reflecting on how cultural institutions shape collective memory as information storage and access transform. The artists employ an expansive approach to materiality across installation, sculpture, photography, textile, video, archival materials, and mixed-media practices. Industrial materials such as brick, clay, glass, and metal appear alongside everyday ephemera including books, journals, documents, photographs, letters, and mementos. Through processes of collecting, archiving, assembling, and transforming, material culture functions as both evidence of lived experiences and an invention generating new narratives.

Participating Artists and Event Schedule

The exhibition features works by Aprille Elizabeth Curtis, Ben Cuevas, Cheyann Washington, Elana Mann, Ellen Jong, Francis Robateau, Gina Herrera, Greg Day, Hugo Heredia Barrera, Jason Jenn, Jason Trucco, Jotham Hung, Kayla Tange, Kristine Schomaker, Marcus Kuiland-Nazario, Nancy Kay Turner, Reyah, Robert Patrick, Rosalyn Myles, Rubén Esparza, Tony Isaja, and Vojislav Radovanović.

Key Dates & Events:

• Exhibition Dates: September 26 – December 31, 2026
• Opening Reception: Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Curator/Artist Walkthrough & Workshop: Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM