Jeffrey Inaba

Born 1962 in Los Angeles, California
Lives and Works in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California

As part of the Biennial, the Whitney commissioned architect Jeffrey Inaba’s architecture collective INABA and C-Lab to design an installation for the Museum’s restaurant space and Lower Gallery. Inaba believes that no matter how authentic or bold the architecture of a building, as the furnishings of a building change over time even the most beautiful modernist interior can, according to Inaba, “verge on looking like a dentist’s waiting room.” In contrast to the stark architectural design and natural materials of the Whitney’s Marcel Breuer building, Inaba used synthetic materials for the three large, suspended lanterns on view here. The lanterns cast a soft light on the restaurant and the store and offer what Inaba describes as a more “human” feel to the space.

Read About the Artist

"Jeffrey Inaba's Pool Noodle Roof"
—Core 77 (June 25, 2009)

"Jeffrey Inaba / C-Lab + Volume (Postopolis! LA)"
—City of Sound (May 22, 2009)

"AD Interviews C-Lab / Jeffrey Inaba and Benedict Clouette"
—ArchDaily.com (August 2008)

"Of Cars, Dogs, Golf, and Bad Feng Shui: An Interview With Jeffrey Inaba"
—BLDGBLOG (April 19, 2007)

About Sandwiched

During the run of 2010, the Whitney Biennial, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) introduced Sandwiched, a temporary “pop-up” cafe at the Museum featuring sandwich creations from USHG’s celebrated chefs. Sandwiched closed in June, 2010.