The performative sculptures on the Guggenheim Museum’s rotunda floor are made from ordinary household objects — kitchen trashbags, fans, and cellophane tape. Arranged in different configurations, the fans — or what Jahn refers to as “picos” (the Spanish word for ‘beak’ and ‘pinnacle,’ as well as the scientific prefix for a small quantity) — take on different biomorphic qualities. As viewers, we become drawn into their drama, searching for higher truth from the mundane. In other words, the picos invite us to have the transformative experience of a live performance while laughing at ourselves at the same time.

Oracle, 2024

In Oracle (below), the picos are arranged as a triad, invoking the priestesses whom ordinary people regularly consulted for important questions about life. Visitors were invited to consult the oracles one or two visitors at a time. Shoe removal was optional.

Created by Marisa Morán Jahn in partnership with the Guggenheim Academic Engagement Program, curatorial collaborator Amy Rosenblum Martín, and students from Parsons School of Design: Madison Jaet, Renee Neme, Riley Stark, Isabella Tedesco, James Terrazas, Ivor Zeng. Special Thanks: Em Flaire. Photos: (Lighter ones by Filip Wolak (c) Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Darker photos by Marc Parroquin, 2024.