The Broad has presented several live programs over the past two months that are meant to reshape how people encounter the museum. In conjunction with Robert Therrien the projects are part of the Downtown LA-based artist’s largest museum presentation to date, and bring together sculptors, artists and musicians, and continue through April.
The efforts began on Nov. 22, on the opening day of the “Robert Therrien: This is a Story.” The Broad hosted the first of two “Un-Private Collection conversations inspired by Therrien’s visionary works.” The second Un-Private Collection conversation will be held on Feb. 27, and will feature artists including Kelly Akashi, Sharif Farrag and Guadalupe Rosales.
Check out more about the the additional events below, with information provided by The Broad:
Family Weekend Workshops: Take Shape
JAN. 25
Visitors are invited to reimagine everyday objects during the Family Weekend Workshops, a hands-on program inspired by the work of Therrien. The workshop encourages participants to step into the artist’s shoes, and explore how individual parts combine to create a larger whole. They will use stencils to create parts that “make up a whole,” building a sculpture similar to Therrien’s most-used forms.
Oculus Hall at The Broad, 221 S. Grand Avenue, free, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., thebroad.org
Wild Up: The Great Learning
FEB. 7
The GRAMMY-nominated orchestral collective Wild Up will host a participatory performance of Cornelius Cardew’s The Great Learning, Paragraphs 2 and 7 at The Broad. This community-focused event blurs the lines between professional musicians and amateurs to create a shared space of collective creativity through sound and ritual.The performance features Wild Up members alongside an ensemble of 30 pre-appointed non-musicians. Grounded in the principles of inclusivity and duration, the piece unfolds through a process of listening and response. Musicians will teach the work to the public ensemble on-site, using repetitions and echoes to build a vast field of resonance.
The Broad, 221 S. Grand Avenue, $25, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. for first show and 9 to 10 p.m. for second show, thebroad.org
The Un-Private Collection: Distinct Encounters through Object Making
FEB. 27
The Broad will host a panel discussion titled “Distinct Encounters through Object Making.” The event, scheduled during Frieze Week Los Angeles, explores the history and current landscape of Los Angeles sculptors who create intimate, solitary experiences for viewers. Featured panelists include Kelly Akashi, Sharif Farrag and Guadalupe Rosales. The discussion will be moderated by Ed Schad, curator of the “Robert Therrien: This is a Story exhibition.” The panel aims to contextualize the work of these modern artists within the broader history of sculpture in Los Angeles, mirroring the themes of object-making and memory found in Therrien’s work.
Oculus Hall at The Broad, 221 S. Grand Avenue, $19, 7:30 to 9 p.m., thebroad.org
Sarah Davachi + Robert Takahashi Novak: New Commissions
MARCH 7
The Broad presents an evening of world-premiere compositions by Los Angeles-based artists Sarah Davachi and Robert Takahashi Novak. This site-specific performance utilizes a spatial sound system to transform the museum’s cavernous, “cathedral-like” lobby into a venue for deep listening and somatic exploration. Electroacoustic organist Davachi and conceptual electronic artist Novak will activate the unique acoustics of the lobby architecture to create a shifting sense of space and time.
The Broad, 221 S. Grand Avenue, $25, 7:30 to 9:15 p.m., thebroad.org
Family Weekend Workshops: This is a… with Bob Baker Marionette Theater
APRIL 5
The Broad invites the community to celebrate the finale of the special exhibition, Robert Therrien: This is a Story, with a day of interactive art and performance. This closing event centers on the theme of transformation, encouraging guests to reimagine ordinary objects through the lens of movement and sculpture. The legendary theater troupe Bob Maker Marionette Theater will perform four 15-minute shows throughout the day, drawing parallels between the movement of marionettes and Therrien’s sculptural forms.
East West Bank Plaza at The Broad, 221 S. Grand Avenue, free, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., thebroad.org
More Information
Founded in 2015, The Broad’s mission is to “make contemporary art accessible to the widest possible audience.” The Broad is home to the Broad collection, one of the world’s leading collections of postwar and contemporary art. It is also headquarters of the Broad Art Foundation’s worldwide lending library.