LACMA's Global Shift: Design Over Depth?

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has unveiled its new David Geffen Galleries, a 110,000-square-foot building designed by architect Peter Zumthor. This new structure is intended to draw attention and establish LACMA as a 'global museum,' shifting focus from a comprehensive encyclopedic collection to one emphasizing intermingled objects and influences.

Zumthor's design is a notable architectural experience, featuring a low-profile, undulating form with an interior wraparound corridor offering campus and city views. The museum's collection is now displayed thematically, mapped by oceans to visualize the flow of art and ideas, rather than by traditional chronology or geography.

While celebrated for its architectural spectacle, the building's use as an art-display space presents challenges. LACMA's collection, officially established in 1965, has strengths in Asian, Islamic, and South American art but is noted as spotty in other areas. The new approach aims to showcase this breadth, though some installations have been critiqued.

The museum is positioning itself as a cultural beacon for its multicultural host city, reflecting Los Angeles's vibrant Latino influence. This identity is evident in displays featuring Spanish-Colonial art, Chicano artists, and contemporary works, distinguishing LACMA from other institutions. The museum plans to rotate objects and themes periodically to keep the collection dynamic.