Mr. Brainwash Meets Richard Meier

Richard Meier, Museum of Television and Radio, Beverly Hills (later Paley Center for Media), 1996

How many pop-up museums have a building by a Pritzker-Prize-winning architect? As far as I know, just one. The Mr. Brainwash Art Museum opens Dec. 18 in Richard Meier's former Paley Center for Media, Beverly Hills. It will show the work of the French-born artist and filmmaker Thierry Guetta, a.k.a. Mr. Brainwash, described as "currently the only street artist whose work appears on the silver screen, television, and in music, fashion, sports, politics and religion." Mr. Brainwash's oeuvre consists largely of spoofs of other street and Pop artists.

Mr. Brainwash, BasquiART, 2021

It's unusual for a prestige museum commission to be converted to a completely different use so soon after its creation. But the Paley Center didn't own the building, and the company that did spoke of converting the structure to "high-end retail with much higher rents."

Meier, whose legacy has been clouded by multiple sexual harassment accusations, is known for pristine white buildings. It appears the new occupant plans to make some updates. 

Mr. Brainwash