In anticipation of the museum opening, The Broad is holding talks around Los Angeles featuring cultural leaders and artists whose work in the Broad collections explores contemporary and controversial themes like politics, society, race and identity.
The next talk is “The Un-Private Collection: Takashi Murakami and Pico Iyer” on Thursday, May 29, at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre, 842 Broadway in downtown Los Angeles.
Internationally acclaimed contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who is represented by 11 works in the Broad collections, will be in conversation with author and longtime resident of Japan Pico Iyer.
Murakami is known for his bold, graphic works that merge fine art, design and animation and continue to blur the lines between high art and pop culture. His wide appeal and star power often mask his deeply intelligent take on Japanese culture and knowledge which emerges from extensive training in classical painting and his doctorate in Japanese art.
The author of numerous books on crossing cultures and a regular contributor to Time, Harper’s, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, and many other publications, Iyer’s writings intersect with Murakami’s work in their focus on the common disconnect between local tradition and imported global pop culture. The pair will discuss the complex social and historical narratives woven into Murakami’s work and how they reflect upon contemporary Japanese culture.
General admission is $12. To make a reservation, click here.
The Broad is a new contemporary art museum being built by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. The museum, which is designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, will open to the public in 2015. The museum will be home to the nearly 2,000 works of art in The Broad Art Foundation and the Broads’ personal collections, which are among the most prominent holdings of postwar and contemporary art worldwide.
With its innovative “veil-and-vault” concept, the 120,000-square-foot, $140 million building will feature two floors of gallery space to showcase The Broad’s comprehensive collections and will be the headquarters of The Broad Art Foundation’s worldwide lending library. The Broad is also building a 24,000-square-foot public plaza adjacent to the museum to add another parcel of critical green space to Grand Avenue.