Equally stunning works on the first floor are Ragnar Kjartansson’s nine-channel video projection installation and the grand work of Takashi Murakami. Kjartansson projects video of various musicians on nine separate screens around a poly-sided room. In the making of his work, Kjartansson placed musicians in separate rooms throughout a mansion. All of the musicians are following the same abstractly constructed composition, but unlike normal ensemble performances in which musician play in the same space and work off of a shared score aided by non-verbal cues to one another, these musicians must respond and interact with each other aurally via headphones.

“The Visitors” Ragnar Kjartansson, 2012, nine channel HD video projection

Kjartansson’s installation recreates the separation experienced by the musicians as they performed in the mansion by isolating each musician to a single screen with the corresponding instrument’s sounds projected behind the screen. This gives the visitors the ability to hear a certain instrument above the others depending where they stand in the installation. The resulting experience evokes feelings of isolation, but also the opportunity to marvel at music’s ability to connect peoples who are otherwise experiencing separation from others.

“In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow” Takashi Murakami, 2014, acrylic on canvas, 3,000 x 25,000 x 73mm, Photo: Nate Risdon

Murakami’s work, In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow, is stunning in its scale and concept. A seemingly endless work that spans two massive walls, Murakami’s piece overwhelms at both a micro and macro level with its attention to small detailed, ornate patterns and sweeping large-scale mythical imagery. The homage to folk-imagery and narratives blends with Murakami’s unique compositional approach giving the viewer an abundance of imagery to contemplate and enjoy.

The second floor houses the Broad’s administrative offices and vaulted collection of contemporary art that is yet to be displayed. The third floor highlights the depth of the Broad’s impressive collection of contemporary art with works by Andy Warhol, Kara Walker, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Jen-Michael Basquiat, and Barbarer Kruger to name a few. One must spend hours several hours in the Broad to truly take in this amazing collection of work. For those not well versed in contemporary art, the Broad provides a very helpful mobile app as well as wonderful self-guided audio tour.

The Broad
Address: 221 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
Opening hours: 11:00 – 20:00 (Till 17:00 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 18:00 on Sundays)
Closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
https://www.thebroad.org