The Museum of Selfies opens in California

New California museum dedicated to selfies

The Museum of Selfies is an exploration of the history and cultural phenomenon of selfies through the ages

Every day, heads tilt upward at their phone cameras to snap selfies in front of “Urban Light,” Chris Burden’s installation of street lamps outside Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirror Rooms” at The Broad in Los Angeles. ¶ Well, now L.A. has a new selfie hotspot.

The Museum of Selfies, which pops up through May 31 in Glendale, Calif., is a lighthearted exploration of the history and cultural phenomenon of selfies through the ages. It features 15 interactive exhibits, works by selfie artists, and a Guinness world record-setting selfie stick that measures 90 feet, 6 inches long and extends through the museum.

Created by game designers Tair Mamedov and Tommy Honton, the pop-up museum transforms the familiar into unexpected fun with some surprises along the way.

“I don’t want to call them illusions, but there are some cool moments,” said Honton, who doesn’t want to reveal too much. His advice? “I would say go in with an open mind and the willingness to play around in the space,” he said. And don’t forget your phone. The exhibit offers selfie facts through the ages with some photo ops, including a re-creation of Vincent Van Gogh’s painting of his bedroom in Arles, France.

Other exhibits are dedicated to popular image categories, including the “bathroom selfie,” “car selfie” and “gym selfie.”

Museum-goers can also encounter the dizzying illusion of standing on the ledge of L.A.’s tallest skyscraper.

“We’re tongue-in-cheek, and we don’t want to be dark, but we do emphasize that sometimes selfies can be dangerous,” Honton said. “Is it worth risking your life for a potentially cool image?”

You can also find works by celebrated selfie artists such as David J. Slater, the photographer behind the viral “monkey selfie,” and award winner Colette Miller, who is known for the Global Angel Wings Project. Visitors can pose with her colorful angel wings sculpture made of tires.

“We’re tonguein-cheek, and we don’t want to be dark, but we do emphasize that sometimes selfies can be dangerous. … Is it worth risking your life for a potentially cool image?” — Tommy Honton, co-creator of The Museum of Selfies

EIKHAN PHOTOGRAPHY The Museum of Selfies showcases more than 15 exhibits and the world’s longest selfie stick.

TIFFANY ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY Artworks include this 3-D sculpture by Colette Miller.

EIKHAN PHOTOGRAPHY The “bathroom selfie” is a two-sided room useful for creating cool photography tricks.

TIFFANY ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY Take a selfie inside this recreation of Vincent Van Gogh’s bedroom.