LACMA’s New Monumental Artworks to Join "Urban Light" and "Levitated Mass"
As LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries take shape, three monumental new public artworks will redefine Los Angeles’ cultural landscape. But while new landmarks rise, 26,000 federal artworks are left vulnerable.
The future is rising on Wilshire Boulevard. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen Galleries is more than a building—it is a bold redefinition of public space, a canvas for monumental ideas. As the museum prepares to open its doors in April next year, three groundbreaking artworks will anchor its new identity, ensuring that art isn’t just inside LACMA—it’s woven into the very landscape of the city.
A 75,000-square-foot concrete plaza transformed into an immersive experience by Mariana Castillo Deball. A tapestry the size of a cinema screen, mapping Mars with ancient techniques, crafted by Sarah Rosalena. A 12-foot interactive flying saucer, imagined by Shio Kusaka, ready to turn an everyday visit into an otherworldly experience.
These are not just commissions. These are landmarks in the making.
ART News
LACMA already owns some of Los Angeles’ most beloved public artworks. Chris Burden’s "Urban Light" is an icon. Michael Heizer’s "Levitated Mass" is a civic spectacle. Now, a new generation of artists is stepping forward to leave their mark—not just inside the museum, but on the streets of L.A. itself.
Castillo Deball’s "Feathered Changes" will be more than just a plaza—it will be a living history, etched with the patterns of ancient feathered serpent murals from Teotihuacán, crisscrossed by animal tracks, and textured with materials that shift underfoot like a vast, modern Zen garden.
Rosalena’s "Omnidirectional Terrain" will be a celestial landscape woven into reality—a fabric study of Mars, bridging ancient weaving traditions with modern space exploration. This is more than art. It’s the cosmos on a loom.
And Kusaka’s flying saucer? It’s not just a sculpture. It’s an invitation—to play, to imagine, to dream. Standing tall in a museum plaza, it will be a beacon, a mystery, a question in the form of art. What if?
As LACMA builds the future, public art across the country is facing uncertainty. While Los Angeles invests in new cultural landmarks, federal cuts are leaving 26,000 public artworks unprotected. The past and future of public art now stand side by side—one expanding, the other at risk of disappearing.
The countdown has begun. In one year, L.A. will gain its next generation of icons. Will we also protect those that came before?
ART Walkway News
