Gala Porras-Kim: The weight of a patina of time

July 9–October 29, 2023

Opening program Saturday, July 8, 6–9 pm
Details to come

The weight of a patina of time presents Gala Porras-Kim’s in-depth explorations of the uncertain histories of ancient objects, reimagining their pasts while charting new possibilities for their present and futures. The exhibition focuses on works emerging from conversations with curators and collections at the Fowler Museum and on Mexican archaeology. It will feature a combination of existing large-scale pieces and new smaller works, some making their Los Angeles debut. All address the challenges of maintaining knowledge over centuries in shifting institutional contexts, documenting Porras-Kim’s interventions into systems of classification and knowledge production.

Gala Porras-Kim: The weight of a patina of time is organized by the Fowler Museum at UCLA and curated by Fowler Chief Curator Matthew H. Robb. Major support is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional generous support is provided by the Clough/Hillenburg Fund, Fay Bettye Green Fund, Pasadena Art Alliance, Kim and Keith Allen-Niesen, Allison Berg, The Audrey and Sydney Irmas Charitable Foundation, Charlotte Chamberlain and Paul Wieselmann, Connie McCreight, and Grace Oh and John Chan.

Image: Gala Porras-Kim (b. 1984, Bogotá; lives and works in Los Angeles), 254 offerings for the rain at the Peabody Museum (detail), 2021; color pencil and acrylic vinyl paint on paper; Private Collection; © Gala Porras-Kim; image courtesy of the artist and Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles, Mexico City. Photo: Paul Salveson