Michael Govan, director of LACMA, discusses the opening of the new $720 million David Geffen Galleries on April 19, designed by architect Peter Zumthor. The 110,000-square-foot space features concrete walls, natural light, and spans Wilshire Boulevard, replacing traditional white-cube galleries with a fluid, non-chronological layout organized around bodies of water. Govan, who has led the museum for two decades, describes the project as a once-in-a-century opportunity to rethink the encyclopedic museum model.
The new galleries represent a fundamental shift in how art history is presented, moving away from Eurocentric, nation-based narratives toward a hybrid, interconnected approach that emphasizes migration and cultural exchange. By abandoning strict chronology and geography, Govan aims to create a more inclusive and evolving platform for world art, allowing visitors to wander through multiple mini-stories rather than a single grand narrative. This reimagining of museum architecture and curation could influence how institutions worldwide approach display and storytelling.