LACMA's David Geffen Galleries: Concrete Walls Tinted with Nano-Pigments
The David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, conceived by architect Peter Zumthor, showcase innovative concrete walls finished with custom transparent glazes, moving away from standard paint. The upcoming exhibit, "We Live in Painting: The Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art," scheduled from 2024 to 2025, highlights the work of artist Porfirio Gutiérrez, who created special pigments. Over four months, Zumthor collaborated with Swiss artisan Marius Fontana to develop a distinct mineral glaze using a silica binder. The exhibition’s palette features soft reds, vibrant blues, and detailed blacks, with each of the 108 walls regarded as a unique piece of art.
Key facts
- David Geffen Galleries designed by Peter Zumthor
- Walls tinted with custom transparent glazes, not painted
- Process led by Diana Magaloni, Senior Deputy Director at LACMA
- Colors inspired by Mesoamerican pigments from Porfirio Gutiérrez
- Glaze developed by Zumthor and Marius Fontana, manufactured by Keim
- Nano-scale mineral pigments in silica binder
- Application took four months by a team of fine artists
- Palette: dusky red, vibrant blue, nuanced black arranged by cardinal direction
Entities
Artists
- Peter Zumthor
- Diana Magaloni
- Porfirio Gutiérrez
- Marius Fontana
- Henry Kramer
- Phillip Byrne
- Gio Black Peter
- Maia Layton
Institutions
- LACMA
- Keim
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States