Philipp Johnson

Land, religion + the architectural history of the Los Angeles River for El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina… at MAK Center, Aug 4

4 August 2017

The El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula group exhibition is on at Los Angeles’ MAK Center for Art and Architecture on August 4. 

The Spanish language title of the show translates to ‘The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porziuncola River,’ the original name of the City of Los Angeles during Spanish colonization of the area in the 18th century. Led by Franciscan friars and soldiers, what was originally a small military outpost on a fertile waterway — named ‘Porziuncola‘ after the Catholic chapel in Italy and meaning ‘small portion of land’ — would become the second most populous city in the United States with its barren concrete ‘water freeway’ of the Los Angeles River. 

Curated by Alessandro Bava, of MAK Center’s current Mackey Apartments residents åyr, the show comes with little information but will no doubt cover the changing landscape of the Californian capital from the perspective of architect Bava, particularly at a time of public revitalisation projects around the river. Contributing artists include Nina Cristante, Veronica Gelbaum, Etienne Van Doorslaer, Giangiacomo Rossetti, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Philipp Johnson, Corita Kent, and Dena Yago.

See the MAK Center website for details. ** 

Dena Yago, ‘Do you Ever Feel like a Plastic Bag?’ (2014). Courtesy the artist + Hammer Museum, Los Anegles.
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