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Here's Where to Find LA's Public Art Biennial This Summer

15 sites across the city where public art installations will be for the next month

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The first citywide public art biennial will be up across the city starting this Saturday, July 16, and lasting until August 14. Titled CURRENT:LA Water, the project is aimed at exploring Los Angeles's relationship to the "critical resource" of water in its many forms; installations will be found at water-associated sites like Echo Park and the Hansen Dam, as well as multiple sites along the LA River, says a release from the city's Department of Cultural Affairs.

See the map for locations and brief descriptions of upcoming installations (one for each City Council district). A full calendar of the many events taking place at the installation sites is here.

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Bowtie Project

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Here, artist Mel Chin's The TIE that BINDS: the MIRROR of the FUTURE reimagines the Bowtie Parcel as "a new landscape of native, drought-tolerant plants." (Council District 1.)

South Weddington Park

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Artist Kori Newkirk's Prime features "a sculpture of horses installed in a trench" that explores cultural boundaries as they exist in public spaces. (Council District 2.)

Origin of the Los Angeles River

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The installation UnderLA: The Origin of the River by Refik Andol and Peggy Weil will be a site-specific projection created using data "generated from Los Angeles aquifers—a layer of porous rock capable of holding and transmitting water." The duo also has another installation of UnderLA at the First Street Bridge. (Council District 3.)

Sunnynook River Park

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will be this weekend. (Council District 4.)

Cheviot Hills Rec Center

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Artist Edgar Arceneaux's The CENTER of the EARTH takes the form of a run-of-the-mill drinking public drinking fountain and "create[s] a different fountain of sorts." (Council District 5.)

Sepulveda Basin

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Rirkrit Tiravanija's Untitled 2016 (LA Water, Water Pavilion) is a small, wood-frame structure that will host weekly events from plein air painting to tea ceremonies, and seeks to create more connections between people and the river. The first events—a tea ceremony, a Thai housewarming ceremony, and a communal cooking event—will take place this weekend. (Council District 6.)

Hansen Dam

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Lucky Dragons's The Spreading Ground was created specifically for Hansen Dam, and aims to produce a collaboratively created piece of music via a series of workshops at the site. The aim is for the music to be performed by Lucky Dragons and participants. (Council District 7.)

Norman Houston Park

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Chris Kallmyer's New Weather Station involves a a 20-foot, open-air geodesic dome and a performing group called Los Angeles Department of Weather Modification. Events held at the dome throughout the biennial will explore the "intersection of weather modification and water" with historians, artists, and the public. (Council District 8.)

South Los Angeles Wetlands Park

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Mast, by Josh Callaghan and Daveed Kapoor, is a giant, ship-like sculpture emerging from the park. It hints at Los Angeles's ties to colonialism while providing shade for guests to the park. (Council District 9.)

Westside Neighborhood Park

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Candice Lin's A Hard White Body is sculpture that "[uses] bacteria found in kombucha as an active collaborator." It's meant to show how small entities can disrupt larger bodies/hierarchies. (Council District 10.)

Del Rey Lagoon

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Gala Porras-Kim's Supplement to Ballona Discovery Park’s Informative Signs creates new signage at the lagoon detailing the history of the Tongva burial ground at the lagoon and "the controversial handling" of the burial site. (Council District 11.)

Bee Canyon Park

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At this site, artists Lucky Dragons will have performers that take on the name Delta, which also happens to be the name of the piece installed here—Δ (Delta). Instructions will change daily for the performers, so it sounds like no two days will be the same. (Council District 12.)

Echo Park

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Teresa Margolles's La Sombra (The Shade) is created out of water that Margolles collected at over 100 sites throughout the city "in which violent incidents have taken place." The water has been turned into a memorial for the recipients of that violence. It also serves as a shady mediation and reflection spot. (Council District 13.)

First Street Bridge

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The installation UnderLA by Refik Andol and Peggy Weil will be a site-specific projection created using data "generated from Los Angeles aquifers—a layer of porous rock capable of holding and transmitting water." The first after-dark performance here is this weekend. (Council District 14.)

Point Fermin

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The Ides by Michael Parker is an arch built at the park that "reflects the intersection of human engineering as seen in the Port of Los Angeles and the natural setting of Point Fermin." (Council District 15.)

Bowtie Project

Here, artist Mel Chin's The TIE that BINDS: the MIRROR of the FUTURE reimagines the Bowtie Parcel as "a new landscape of native, drought-tolerant plants." (Council District 1.)

South Weddington Park

Artist Kori Newkirk's Prime features "a sculpture of horses installed in a trench" that explores cultural boundaries as they exist in public spaces. (Council District 2.)

Origin of the Los Angeles River

The installation UnderLA: The Origin of the River by Refik Andol and Peggy Weil will be a site-specific projection created using data "generated from Los Angeles aquifers—a layer of porous rock capable of holding and transmitting water." The duo also has another installation of UnderLA at the First Street Bridge. (Council District 3.)

Sunnynook River Park

will be this weekend. (Council District 4.)

Cheviot Hills Rec Center

Artist Edgar Arceneaux's The CENTER of the EARTH takes the form of a run-of-the-mill drinking public drinking fountain and "create[s] a different fountain of sorts." (Council District 5.)

Sepulveda Basin

Rirkrit Tiravanija's Untitled 2016 (LA Water, Water Pavilion) is a small, wood-frame structure that will host weekly events from plein air painting to tea ceremonies, and seeks to create more connections between people and the river. The first events—a tea ceremony, a Thai housewarming ceremony, and a communal cooking event—will take place this weekend. (Council District 6.)

Hansen Dam

Lucky Dragons's The Spreading Ground was created specifically for Hansen Dam, and aims to produce a collaboratively created piece of music via a series of workshops at the site. The aim is for the music to be performed by Lucky Dragons and participants. (Council District 7.)

Norman Houston Park

Chris Kallmyer's New Weather Station involves a a 20-foot, open-air geodesic dome and a performing group called Los Angeles Department of Weather Modification. Events held at the dome throughout the biennial will explore the "intersection of weather modification and water" with historians, artists, and the public. (Council District 8.)

South Los Angeles Wetlands Park

Mast, by Josh Callaghan and Daveed Kapoor, is a giant, ship-like sculpture emerging from the park. It hints at Los Angeles's ties to colonialism while providing shade for guests to the park. (Council District 9.)

Westside Neighborhood Park

Candice Lin's A Hard White Body is sculpture that "[uses] bacteria found in kombucha as an active collaborator." It's meant to show how small entities can disrupt larger bodies/hierarchies. (Council District 10.)

Del Rey Lagoon

Gala Porras-Kim's Supplement to Ballona Discovery Park’s Informative Signs creates new signage at the lagoon detailing the history of the Tongva burial ground at the lagoon and "the controversial handling" of the burial site. (Council District 11.)

Bee Canyon Park

At this site, artists Lucky Dragons will have performers that take on the name Delta, which also happens to be the name of the piece installed here—Δ (Delta). Instructions will change daily for the performers, so it sounds like no two days will be the same. (Council District 12.)

Echo Park

Teresa Margolles's La Sombra (The Shade) is created out of water that Margolles collected at over 100 sites throughout the city "in which violent incidents have taken place." The water has been turned into a memorial for the recipients of that violence. It also serves as a shady mediation and reflection spot. (Council District 13.)

First Street Bridge

The installation UnderLA by Refik Andol and Peggy Weil will be a site-specific projection created using data "generated from Los Angeles aquifers—a layer of porous rock capable of holding and transmitting water." The first after-dark performance here is this weekend. (Council District 14.)

Point Fermin

The Ides by Michael Parker is an arch built at the park that "reflects the intersection of human engineering as seen in the Port of Los Angeles and the natural setting of Point Fermin." (Council District 15.)