LACMA to Display Buddhist Art
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| Crowned Buddha, Thailand, Lopburi, about 1250-1300. LACMA. Gift of Michael Phillips and Juliana Maio |
LACMA is planning a large exhibition of its Buddhist art, which has been off view since the 2020 demolition of the Ahmanson Building. "Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia" will showcase about 150 works spanning India, the Himalayas, China, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia. It will run May 11, 2025, to Apr. 5, 2026, in the Resnick Pavilion.
Comments
I believe the Broad building (based on a stipulation of Eli Broad) is required to display only newer art, while the Resnick is for special exhibitions of all genres. So shows for categories like Buddhist art should have been way more the rule, not the exception. Instead, the amount of space set aside during the past 4 years in the Resnick for newer art has been too much overkill.
I believe the building's namesake favors older European artworks, so I wonder if she has been antsy about the direction of Govan's LACMA?
However, putting together displays of contemporary art must cost less to organize than older forms of art, so money is probably one factor. But if the budget for special exhibits at LACMA is a big issue, why were the finances for the Zumthor building allowed to skyrocket?