Doug Aitken's Underwater Pavilions Anchored Off Catalina Island

Doug Aitken has installed three geodesic sculptures on the ocean floor near Catalina Island, 22 miles from Los Angeles. The Underwater Pavilions, created in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), are made from materials mimicking lava rock and feature reflective surfaces, resembling large diamonds. Accessible only by swimming, they are designed to interact with marine life and serve as observatories for studying underwater ecosystems. Aitken described Los Angeles as "the precipice, the point where the continent ends," and expressed a desire to allow viewers to immerse themselves in the Pacific Ocean, penetrating its surface.