Latest news with #IwanBaan
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
LACMA Builds Its Future
David Geffen Galleries at LACMA; exterior view southeast toward Wilshire Boulevard with Tony Smith's Smoke (1967) in foreground, photo © Iwan Baan, courtesy of LACMA 'The superstructure is the structure,' said Michael Govan, director and CEO of the Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA) said of the new Peter Zumthor-designed building that recently opened for a press preview. There is no art in the building yet, and the official opening isn't until April 2026, but Govan wanted a moment of celebration for the completion of this 110,000 square feet gallery with no columns for which three of LACMA's original buildings were demolished, and which snakes across Wilshire Boulevard, where there will be a new a cafe, a restaurant, a family education center, and a 300-seat theater. It is hard to believe that Los Angeles didn't really have a contemporary art museum before LACMA opened in 1965. Over the years the William Pereira designed campus meant to invoke an 'art acropolis' with gleaming modernist buildings each named for leading donors such as Bing, Ahmanson, and Lytton (later renamed for Armand Hammer) created no excitement and no cohesion. For the last several decades, as long as I've lived in Los Angeles, there have been plans to come up with a master plan for LACMA. Over the years this has involved building the additions of the Renzo Piano BCAM building with its Pompidou like outdoor escalator – which originally might have held the Broad Collection but, as I predicted at the time, proved too difficult to execute to Eli Broad's satisfaction, and the Resnick Pavillon, which in many ways became LACMA's permanent temporary exhibition space. Several starchitects such as Piano made proposals, several were announced, none were built. Then came Michael Govan. Director and CEO of LACMA. Govan's detractors like to say he has an 'edifice complex.' Which I repeat because it's such a good line. However, it is also true that he was working for Thomas Krens at the Guggenheim at the time they built the Frank Gehry Bilboa branch of the museum, and then when leading the DIA art Foundation, he opened DIA Beacon, which is a terrific space. So, like many a bromide, there is a grain of truth to it. LACMA was in need of a unified campus (and some of its buildings needed to be torn down for reasons of seismic safety). Govan's solution which was both maximalist and in some ways minimalist, involved what seemed an outlandish idea, a Peter Zumthor-designed one story columnless pavilion with floor to ceiling glass, an amorphous amoeba like shape, that would cross Wilshire Boulevard, and would cost $720 Million dollars. The critics were many. Complaints included that the new structure offered no more exhibition square footage (perhaps even less) than the former buildings; that the floor to ceiling windows on all the sides of the structure would absorb too much heat and would make showing art inside difficult if not impossible; and that the use of such construction materials as concrete was not environmentally sound. Having a structure that crossed Wilshire Boulevard seemed a folly. Critics found the Zumthor building design itself was undistinguished, looking more like a spaceship that had landed on the tar pits than a museum-worthy building. But all that was before construction was complete. I will make a little detour here to speak about the Barnes Collection in Philadelphia. The Barnes, like the Gardner in Boston, and the Frick in New York, was one person's collection displayed in the collector's home, arranged by them. At a certain point, a group controlling the Barnes decided to build a new building so the collection could be better seen and preserved. Lawsuits ensued as well as a very good documentary, The Art of the Steal , which was made before the new building opened and which made a very compelling argument that doing so was a travesty. Now, if you've been to the Barnes recently, you know that reality proved the naysayers wrong. However, before it actually opened, no one could imagine how great the newly installed Barnes was going to be. I bring this up because clearly LACMA believes the same is true for their new building. Given that there were so many objections to the building, it was very canny of Michael Govan and LACMA to offer a walkthrough of the building itself before even one piece of art is installed inside. The reality of the building doesn't quell all objections, but it does prove that Govan could raise the necessary funds to build it, and that he got the building completed. As an optimist, here's the good news: The new Geffen Galleries, as they are called, are definitely a statement building. If Los Angeles is a city where distinctive architecture is also outdoor sculpture, then LACMA, like Disney Hall, will become a destination that, like it or not, tourists and residents alike will want to see. The long outdoor steps leading to the galleries may become a place where people hang out, like the steps of the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York. Or you could have LA health enthusiasts 'doing the stairs' as they do in Santa Monica. In demolishing the prior buildings, they reclaimed three-and-a-half acres that becomes public space. Going to LACMA may gain the buzz as a public square as well as the locus for an inexpensive date or a family outing. There will be new large outdoor public sculptures that promise to be as instagrammable as Chris Burden's collection of street lamps. Finally, the completion of the new LACMA building, together with the opening of the metro stop there will complete the transformation of that stretch of Wilshire Boulevard into an arts district that stretches from the Tar Pits on the East Side of LACMA to the Academy Museum and Petersen Auto Museum on the West. David Geffen Galleries at LACMA; view northwest at dusk from exhibition level toward Resnick Pavilion, photo © Iwan Baan, courtesy of LACMA As for the interior of the building itself, there are also several positives to report. The overhangs create shade, and custom created light-porous chromium curtains filter the sunlight and the heat. The buildings' floor to ceiling windows do afford many new views of Los Angeles, not just of the rest of the LACMA Campus and the Academy Museum but also the Hollywood Hills, as well as new view over the LA Brea Tar Pits that will increase the land available to that institution. There is a gorgeous new view of the Bruce Goff designed Pavillon for Japanese Art that makes new that unique building's design, as well as of the tar pits. Finally, when standing on the crossover above Wilshire Boulevard, the view West is incredible and will surely become a selfie and Instagram magnet. On the south side of Wilshire where the building ends will also be a new 300 seat theater where films can be shown, performances staged, conversations held. And the building has been constructed in such a way that it can actually move and lessen the impact of an earthquake and aftershock. Aerial view of LACMA buildings, including David Geffen Galleries in context of Miracle Mile, photo © Iwan Baan, courtesy of LACMA Now, as to my reservations. Disney Hall is a thing of beauty, poetry even. The Broad Museum with its concrete veil is certainly striking. LACMA's Geffen Gallery may be exciting, interesting, but a thing of beauty? Maybe not so much. I have read one critic say the building looks like an airport air terminal. That's not completely wrong. It is eye-catching, and even elegant — a minimalist work done in a maximalist size. But that is not the same as a thing of beauty. Inside the building is all one large columnless space with grey concrete floors and walls, with several rooms, most of which struck me as too small for separate exhibitions and somewhat claustrophobic. The Galleries have been purposely designed so as to have, in Govan's words, 'no one in the front and no one in the back.' No given place to begin viewing and no end. The buildings floor-to-ceiling windows are meant to signal transparency from the outside world, and from the galleries looking out to LA. Govan wants with these galleries to 'Reinvent Art History for the 21rst century.' The art will be installed in such a way that one can wander and make discoveries at every turn, without a given beginning or end. There was some mention of grouping works 'by Ocean' (I'm not sure if that is accurate). What most concerns me is that if there is no set beginning or end to how the works in the collection are displayed, no collection of old and contemporary masters on permanent view, no progression in what we see, no visual and didactic narrative informing the viewer... Will the visitor be lost? Will making everything of equal importance mean that nothing matters? It could take LACMA several years of trial and error to find their way. Time will tell. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Kamasi Washington performs during the LACMA First Look Reception on June 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor LACMA) Getty Images for LACMA In the meantime, LACMA threw a memorable party for its new building. LACMA estimates some 6000 people showed up over several viewings. The art world turned out in force, including Charles Gaines, Ed Ruscha and Alison Saar. LACMA members also attended in great numbers, marching up the new stairs four deep. Kamasi Washington performed, leading some 100 musicians staged in various corners of the new structure. It was the kind of night that is too rare in LA, and I was happy to be there. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Guests attend the LACMA First Look Reception on June 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor LACMA) Getty Images for LACMA When LACMA opened in 1965, it was LA's first contemporary and modern art museum. Since then, the Pasadena Art Museum became the Norton Simon, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) opened downtown, The Skirball, The Getty Center, the Hammer, and more recently The Broad, have all taken root. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open next year. To regain its prominence as a cultural destination, perhaps what LACMA needed was a hard reset. And a big dream. In the new LACMA it has both.
Japan Forward
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Forward
From Hokkaido's Forests to the World: Sou Fujimoto's New Exhibition in Tokyo
There are no forests to see from the 53rd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. More than 200 meters above the urban jungle of Tokyo, you can hardly make out any trees in the concrete expansion below. Yet here, over a thousand kilometers away from the woods of rural Hokkaido, the Mori Art Museum showcases the work of an architect whose quintessential landscape is the forests of Japan's northernmost prefecture. The Forest of Thought (rendering of the installation). (©Sou Fujimoto Architects) Sou Fujimoto, one of Japan's most celebrated architects, grew up in Higashikagura, a small town at the foot of the Daisetsuzan mountain range. Although close to Asahikawa, Hokkaido's second biggest city, nature is everywhere. Gold and white birch trees line the banks of the winding Chubetsu River. In winter, the snow blankets the landscape, turning it into a white wilderness. Fujimoto remembers his carefree childhood in Hokkaido fondly. "We ran around in the forest", the architect recalls. While the days when the 53-year-old played around in the woods are long gone, the feeling of freedom and openness has never left him. The concept serves as a guiding principle for his designs. "The forest is not a closed space — it is always open," he explains. Fujimoto's recent project, the iconic centerpiece of Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, is a clear expression of his vision. The Grand Ring, a continuous wooden structure with almost two kilometers in circumference, encircles much of the international exhibition. The vast structure guides and shelters visitors, but also gives room to explore the lightness, atmosphere, and elegance of this wooden marvel and, of course, the venue itself. The Grand Ring for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan 2025. (Photo courtesy: Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition) Constructed from Japanese cedar, cypress, and Scotch pine, the Grand Ring covers an area of 61,035 square meters. It was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest wooden architectural structure in the world. Model of the Grand Ring for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (rendering of the installation). (©Sou Fujimoto Architects) The Mori Art Museum exhibition features a 1:5 model of part of the Grand Ring along with sketches, photos, and project materials that span from its original conception to its completion. L'Arbre Blanc (The White Tree) 2019. Montpellier, France. (Photo: Iwan Baan) Other recent high-profile projects by Fujimoto — such as "L'Arbre Blanc" (The White Tree), a residential tower in Montpellier, France, and the "House of Music" in Budapest, Hungary — are also featured in the exhibition. They are presented through architectural drawings, models, videos, and photographs. House of Music Hungary (exterior) 2021. Budapest. (Photo: Iwan Baan) Fujimoto is a prolific creator. The first room of the exhibition titled "Forest of Thoughts" shows more than 1,000 architectural models, some handmade by Fujimoto himself. The final piece of the exhibition is a proposal for a futuristic city. Fujimoto collaborated with data scientist Hiroaki Miyata to project his vision of floating spherical structures and trees onto the walls of the museum in Roppongi. The area's name — "Roppongi," which means "six trees" — is believed to refer to six large zelkova trees that likely stood there when Tokyo was still more forest than city. Title: The Architecture of Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest. Location: Mori Art Museum, Roppongi, Exhibition Period: July 2 to November 9, 2025 Author: Agnes Tandler
Euronews
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Why are artists, architects and ecologists meeting in Uzbekistan's Aral Sea Region?
ADVERTISEMENT Most visitors to Uzbekistan stick to the Silk Road tourist trail, exploring the mosques and madrasas of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, and perhaps the intriguing mix of Islamic and Soviet modernist architecture of the capital, Tashkent. Amid the remote, arid landscapes of northern Uzbekistan, however, artists, architects, ecologists, and activists are gathering in a city less frequented by international visitors. Nukus, the regional capital of Karakalpakstan, is playing host to the inaugural Aral Culture Summit: a potential springboard for sustainable transformation and cultural renewal in the Aral Sea region, once the fourth-largest lake in the world and now often seen as a tragic symbol of environmental neglect and its devastating consequences. Spearheaded by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), this summit will set the stage for a unique cross-disciplinary dialogue on how art, culture, design, and science can transform the region's future. Satellite Imagery of Aral Sea (2000-2018). Picture Courtesy of Uzbekistan Art And Culture Foundation. The Aral Sea crisis The collapse of the Aral Sea is one of the largest man-made environmental disasters in history. During the 1960s, the Soviet Union diverted water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for agricultural irrigation, drastically reducing the amount of water flowing into the Aral Sea. By the 1980s, the Sea had shrunk to less than half of its original size, and by 2007, much of the northeastern part had dried up completely. The results were devastating. Once abundant fish populations disappeared, biodiversity plummeted, and the local economy, which relied on the Sea, collapsed. The region's residents, particularly in the town of Moynaq, were left with the remnants of what was once a thriving fishing industry. Now, what remains is a vast, barren seabed, often whipped up by dust storms carrying salt and toxic chemicals. Sudochye Lake Aral Sea Basin. Courtesy of Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. Fishing communities have been left in economic crisis. Courtesy of Iwan Baan and Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. All rights reserved. Uniting science and culture Rather than looking at this backdrop as purely a bleak cautionary tale, beyond redemption, the Aral Culture Summit offers an invitation to ask and discuss: Can we use the lessons of the past and harness culture and heritage to inspire change? For Gayane Umerova, Chairperson of the ACDF, culture and environment are fundamentally intertwined. 'For centuries Uzbekistan's rich heritage and traditions have been intrinsically linked to and informed by our environment,' she says. 'We believe the creative industries can have a role in helping us develop long-term, sustainable solutions that will protect the local ecology, unite the community, and drive innovation,' she adds, underlining how the summit seeks to embody this connection, uniting the creative industries with scientific and ecological expertise. With this connection in mind, from 5-6 April – hot on the heels of the Samarkand International Climate Forum on 4 April – Nukus will host a rich programme of panel discussions, networking forums, and cultural events. Artists, ecologists, and local businesses will collaborate to explore ways of revitalising Karakalpakstan, the region surrounding the Aral Sea, through sustainable practices, while a roster of cultural immersions – featuring food, music, and art – will allow visitors to connect deeply with the local heritage and traditions. What's more, this will take place in the world's largest (non-collapsible) yurt, in homage to the traditional dwellings of the region's nomadic peoples. In this setting, echoing the gathering of families around a hearth, conversations will explore salient questions for the region: using culture, architecture and heritage as catalysts for climate action; driving change through content; women's leadership; how art and tradition shape identity; and agriculture as culture. Image: The Aral Culture Summit will take place in the world's biggest non-collapsible yurt. Image: Uzbekistan Tourism/X Image: An archival image of a traditional yurt. Image: Courtesy of ARC Architects. International expertise, local roots The roster of experts taking part includes international names from across art, design, architecture and ecology, such as Aric Chen, Artistic Director of Rotterdam's Nieuwe Instituut; Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets; founder and principal architect of waiwai, Wael Al Awar; Kazakhstani biodesigner Dana Molzhigit; and Natalia Idrisova, curator of Tajikistan's 'Polygon' Art Group. ADVERTISEMENT These international voices will be in conversation with key figures in the local community, whose agency is key in the area's regeneration. Among those taking part will be Karakalpak artist Saidbek Sabirbayev; theatre director Sultanbek Kallibekov; Aijamal Yusupova, director of the State Museum of History and Culture of the Republic of Karakalpakstan; and contemporary poet Kydirniyaz Babaniyazov. For Sabirbayev, bringing these voices together, and shining a spotlight on the region, is an important step. 'As an artist, I was born and raised in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, so the problem of the Aral Sea is our problem and my pain. The summit drew me because 70-80% of my works are related to the Aral Sea and Karakalpakstan… I hope that where there is attention, there will be results,' he explains. Crucially, the Aral Culture Summit does not seek to be 'just another conference'; rather, it is designed as an ongoing conversation, with fresh iterations every 18 months and a commitment to longstanding legacy. ADVERTISEMENT The first phase of the project will focus on the regeneration of Istiqlol Park, the future headquarters of the summit. This former amusement park, which is one of the only green spaces in the city, will be transformed into a community hub offering a range of environmentally conscious and culturally enriching experiences, serving as an example both of eco-responsible tourism and a model for other cities grappling with similar environmental challenges. Park Istiqlol, Nukus, to be developed as part of the Aral Culture Summit. Photo courtesy of Iwan Baan and ACDF, all rights reserved Suzani craft. Aral Culture Summit 2025. Picture Courtesy of Uzbekistan Art And Culture Foundation. 2025, a milestone year The Aral Culture Summit is just one of numerous big cultural 'moments' for Uzbekistan in 2025. As well as participating in the World Expo Osaka and the Venice Biennale Architettura, the country will host its first ever biennial (the Bukhara Biennial) in September and, come November, the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand – an event that has not been held outside Paris in 40 years. It remains to be seen whether culture and ecology will unite to truly make a difference in the Aral Sea region, but one thing is certain: as Uzbekistan opens its doors to international audiences, it has staked its claim – and that of Karakalpakstan, specifically – to a place in the global cultural conversation. The Aral Sea Basin. Courtesy of Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. The inaugural Aral Culture Summit runs in Nukus from 5-6 April 2025. ADVERTISEMENT
