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About the Artist

Michael Asher
Born 1943,
Los Angeles
A student reinstallation project of the Leona Palmer Gallery
19-century European art, LACMA East
closes June 26

 

What makes someone an artist?

What makes a project a work of art?

Michael Asher has big plans for a gallery at LACMA: He's working with two groups of students to reinstall the gallery. The students will learn about the museum and how museums display works of art. Then they'll develop a plan for the gallery, present it to the curator, and direct the reinstallation, which will be open to the public. Visitors will experience the art as kids think it should be displayed.

Once the project is under way, Asher doesn't want to influence what the students do. They can move the paintings around, write new labels, and even add a coat of paint, music, comfy chairs—anything!—as long as they can justify their decisions.