The wait is finally over for Chris Burden’s Metropolis II—the mesmerizing sculpture opens to the public this Saturday (and members can get an early jump this evening). Because the work requires an operator to be on hand and focused on the work at all times, Metropolis II is only operational at specific times, so plan your visit accordingly:
- Saturday and Sunday: 11:30 am–1 pm; 2–3:30 pm; 4–5:30 pm; 6–7:30 pm
- Monday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day): 12:30–2 pm; 3–4:30 pm; 5–6:30 pm; 7–8 pm
In the future, Metropolis II will only be operational on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Chris Burden, Metropolis II, 2010, long-term loan courtesy of the Nicolas Berggruen Charitable Foundation, © Chris Burden, courtesy Gagosian Gallery, photography by E. Koyama
This weekend is also your last chance to see Edward Kienholz’s powerful Five Car Stud, an immersive and challenging Civil Rights-era artwork that is on view in the US for the very first time. Five Car Stud will travel to the Louisiana Museum of Art in Denmark this summer. On the occasion of the exhibition’s closing, here is a look back at the blog posts we’ve done on the piece:
- Curator Stephanie Barron recalls the first time she saw Five Car Stud—the only other time the artwork has ever been on view, in Germany in 1972
- Nancy Kienholz, who spent three years restoring Five Car Stud, talks about the making of the work
- We interviewed Keith Berwick, a former talk show host who was cast as one of the figures in the artwork
- On lacma.org, we also have a firsthand account of the making of Five Car Stud written by Edward Kienholz in 1971
Edward Kienholz: Five Car Stud 1969–1972, Revisited, installation view, photography by Tom Vinetz, © Kienholz, collection of Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art, Sakura, Japan, courtesy of L.A. Louver, Venice, CA and The Pace Gallery, New York, photo by Tom Vinetz
One more exhibition note—we’re happy to note that Maria Nordman FILMROOM: SMOKE, 1967–Present has been extended! It will remain on view through May 20.
In addition to these exhibitions, be sure to check out Glenn Ligon: AMERICA, Contested Visions in the Spanish Colonial World, California Design, 1935–1960, and the rest of our exhibitions and installations on view.
On Sunday in the Bing Theater, the Triple Helix Trio will perform selections from Beethoven’s three trios, Opus 1—free. Finally, Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and that means it’s a Target Free Holiday Monday. Happy three-day weekend!
Scott Tennent
Unframed The LACMA Blog 