Best in Shows

"Monuments" at MOCA Geffen

ARTnews' critics are in an L.A. state of mind. This year's award for best Thematic Museum Exhibition went to MOCA and The Brick's "Monuments" (curated by Hamza Walker, Kara Walker, and Bennett Simpson, with Hannah Burstein and Paula Kroll). ARTnews also gave a "Special Citation" to the inaugural hang of the David Geffen Galleries. While "Monuments" was widely praised, reactions to the Geffen install were mixed. 

Wrote ARTnews,

"While not a thematic exhibition in the traditional sense, the ARTnews Awards Jury felt that the hang that inaugurated LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries deserved a special commendation.… The curators’ work provides new insights into well-known works, spotlights lesser-known ones, and offers elegant juxtapositions."

The award is intended to recognize "a group show at a museum or nonprofit institution with a strong curatorial point of view."

"Indonesian Batiks and Cultural Exchange" room at David Geffen Galleries, LACMA