Discover Contemporary Art at the Hammer Museum (Los Angeles)
Details
Join me for a fun & FREE art-filled Saturday at the Hammer Museum!
Date & Time: Saturday, September 27th, 11:30 AM
Cost: Free
Discover the vibrant world of contemporary art at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles!
Founded in 1990 by art collector Armand Hammer and affiliated with UCLA, the museum has grown into a dynamic hub for innovative, socially engaged art from around the globe. Its diverse collection spans painting, sculpture, photography, and immersive installations, with a special focus on Los Angeles-based artists.
On Saturday, we’ll dive into the museum’s latest exhibitions, beginning with “Lawrence Lek: NOX High-Rise,” an immersive exploration of digital landscapes and futuristic urban visions.
We’ll also experience “Rising Sun, Falling Rain: Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts,” a stunning collection that showcases the elegance and artistry of traditional Japanese prints across centuries.
Lawrence Lek: NOX High-Rise
Lawrence Lek (b. 1982) is a London-based artist, filmmaker, musician, and interactive designer. His practice engages speculative fiction through media installations, narrative soundscapes, sci-fi mythologies, and game design.
Lek imagines the architecture, design, and engineering of future scenarios in which the limits between humans, machines, and artificial intelligence (AI) have been blurred.
In Lek’s immersive installation, NOX (2023), time-based media and scenography intersect to evoke a virtual world in which AI systems dominate the lives of humans and machines.
In the installation’s universe, NOX, short for "Nonhuman Excellence," is a therapeutic center controlled by Farsight Corporation––a fictional AI conglomerate––where sentient self-driving cars with mental health problems are trained and treated to be put back into service.
Lek's work considers the ethical and political implications of the development of artificial consciousness in a world shared by humans, more-than-humans and machines.
Rising Sun, Falling Rain: Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts
Ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” emerged as a defining artistic genre during Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868), an era of significant cultural transformation.
Initially centered on the vibrant urban life of licensed pleasure quarters—depicting kabuki theaters, teahouses, and brothels—ukiyo-e gradually expanded in subject matter in response to shifting social interests, increased domestic travel, government censorship, and contact with Western art. Themes came to include nature, landscapes, poetry, literature, and folklore.
Rising Sun, Falling Rain traces the evolution of ukiyo-e printmaking and the later shin-hanga movement, featuring over eighty prints from the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts by renowned artists such as Katsukawa Shunshō, Utagawa Toyokuni, Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and Kawase Hasui.
These works exemplify the technical mastery and aesthetic refinement of Japanese woodblock printing, which profoundly shaped global perceptions of Japan’s cultural legacy and fostered enduring engagement with its historical narratives.
Featuring works by emerging and established local artists, the exhibit highlights bold, experimental approaches to contemporary art and offers a glimpse into LA’s thriving creative scene.
Whether you’re an art aficionado or just curious about contemporary trends, this meetup is a perfect chance to experience stunning installations, thought-provoking works, and engage in lively discussion with fellow art lovers.
📍 Location:
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Come ready to explore, learn, and be inspired!
Note: No, you do not need to register for a free ticket to visit the Hammer Museum. Admission is free, and advance reservations are not necessary.
💡 Note: Meetup organizers don’t get paid for hosting events, but there are some costs involved in keeping things going.
If you’d like to support and chip in, optional donations are always appreciated. Totally up to you, no pressure at all!
You can make a small donation using any of the options below:
Zelle: 626-986-8593
Venmo: @Darren-Van-1
CashApp: $Darren515
Paypal: darrenvan515@gmail.com
Discover Contemporary Art at the Hammer Museum (Los Angeles)