hyde or die
» 9 Things to Know About the Huge Proposed LACMA Redesign
— As suspected, the plan would retain the Bruce Goff-designed Pavilion for Japanese Art, the two new Renzo Piano-designed buildings on the western side of the campus (BCAM and the Resnick Pavilion), and the May Company building at Fairfax and Wilshire, which the Academy of Motion Pictures is turning into a movie museum.
— That means that all the original 1965 buildings designed by William Pereira (the Ahmanson, Hammer and Bing) will be demolished, and so will the much-hated 1986 Art of the Americas building, designed by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates.— The new design would stretch east horizontally from “Urban Light” (and the Piano section of the campus) and “would be wrapped in glass on all sides, and its main galleries would be lifted one floor into the air. The wide roof would be covered with solar panels.”
— “From above, the structure would resemble an inkblot or a drop of water. Zumthor says the design has been inspired more by the oozing, fluid forms of the La Brea Tar Pits just east of the museum than the existing architecture at LACMA.”
— The museum would stay open during construction, using the BCAM and Resnick spaces.
— The plan won’t really increase the overall square footage of the museum; however, the Wall Street Journal previously reported that it would allow LACMA to display a lot more of its collection: “Whole sections of LACMA’s collection—such as gems tucked away on the third floor of the Art of the Americas building—will be dusted off for the first time in years.”
— The new design would also be efficient enough to save LACMA “as much as $5 million per year in operating costs.”
— The Pereira buildings were never that popular—Arts & Architecture magazine called them “pitiful” and their faults “inexcusable” when they first opened.
— Zumthor’s plan is somewhat similar to one proposed in 2001 by fellow starchitect Rem Koolhaas, which was approved by the LACMA board before being scuttled by various internal and external forces. What’s notable is that neither the LA County Board of Supes or the LA Conservancy opposed any demolition at the time.
I’m all for a more cohesive campus and saving money via operating costs, I just am not looking forward to the shitshow of trying to navigate the remaining buildings while they are under construction.
» A Few Upcoming Shows at LACMOCA
Title:Govan VS. Deitch: Death Match
Logline: Pinning the two museum heads against each other, Michael Govan and Jeffrey Deitch will switch their Director hats for Performance Art guises in a boxing scrimmage. Refereed by Marina Abramovic and on a ring constructed by Michael Heizer, you’ll watch the two beat each other up for the sake of art. Who will win? No one knows. (This said, Deitch will have one arm tied behind his back because Deitch can never win at anything in LA art.)
Title:Instagrammable
Logline: From Urban Light to Transmission LA, LACMA and MOCA have mastered the art of making art that looks good…on Instagram! Digging into their permanent collections, the two art institutions will present what they believe are works that have the potential to be the most Instagrammed art photos ever. The show will be guest curated by Nawden, a very popular Instagrammer who describes himself as “the best art assistant on Instagram.” Viewers are encouraged to wear their best looks, bring any nice looking food or pets, and show off their nails as there is a high chance they will be Instagrammed.Title: You All Are Annoying
Logline: Inspired by art world commentators and critics near and far, LACMOCA is proud to present You Are All Annoying, a giant mirror to be installed in front of the new LACMOCA buildings with the words “YOU ARE ALL ANNOYING” scrawled on it. Part tongue-in-cheek nod to childhood graffiti and part “Please shut up now, smug commentators,” You Are All Annoying will finally quell the fire in the Los Angeles art world for once. Or until some sensitive someone wants to complain about LACMOCA. Because that will happen. That will happen even if LACMOCA doesn’t happen.
I wish I wrote this.
The front half of a mammoth statue is airlifted to La Brea tar pits, 1968.
Via the Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A. site and LACMA on Fire
Gary Simmons Untitled 2008
Recently acquired by LACMA. Way to go LACMA.
Also, his studio has a tumblr and it’s a good one.
