An abandoned hospital in Westlake Village, the former St. Vincent Medical Center, has been transformed into a pop-up art exhibition called "Hospital of Emotions." Organized by ROYVA founder Oshri Elmorich in collaboration with House of Art and Dreams, the exhibit occupies four floors and 80 hospital rooms, each themed around different emotions such as joy, fear, anger, and resilience. Installation artist Javiera Estrada created a twister-themed room in the Joy Department, while neon artist David Otis Johnson contributed a piece depicting a hospital bed in the Resilience Department. The exhibition runs through the end of July and will be followed by the development of the St. Vincent Behavioral Health Campus on the site.
This project matters because it repurposes a vacant medical facility into an immersive art experience that directly engages with the emotional weight of hospitals—places associated with both loss and healing. By inviting visitors to confront a full spectrum of feelings through art, the exhibit demonstrates how creative interventions can transform abandoned spaces into meaningful community touchpoints. It also highlights the growing trend of using art to address mental health and emotional well-being, while paving the way for the building's future use as a behavioral health campus.