The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is preparing to open its new David Geffen Galleries in April, marking a major milestone in a two-decade transformation led by CEO and director Michael Govan. The opening coincides with the 20th anniversary of Govan's hiring and features Jeff Koons's outdoor sculpture 'Split-Rocker' as an anchor piece.
This opening represents a significant shift in LACMA's curatorial philosophy and physical footprint. Under Govan, the museum is moving away from traditional encyclopedic displays organized by nation, chronology, or medium, and toward thematic galleries that emphasize migration and interconnectedness, such as grouping works from Europe and Africa around the Atlantic Ocean. This reimagining has sparked controversy, leading to the withdrawal of support from major donor Howard Ahmanson, Jr., but also includes an ambitious expansion through satellite partnerships across Los Angeles County and beyond.