Josiah McElheny: Island Universe
Josiah McElheny: Island Universe
Josiah McElheny’s dramatic Island Universe, installed in the center of the Resnick Pavilion, embodies the concept of the multiverse, or multiple coexisting universes. Now a key element of contemporary cosmological thinking, the concept of the multiverse was first proposed in ancient Greece, then in Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and 18th-century astronomy. McElheny, who is interested in how scientific inquiry is conditioned by and impacts philosophical, sociological, and political thought, finds a clear connection to the historical shifts that call for the decentering of Western knowledge, and even human-centric thought. The artist worked collaboratively with astrophysicist David Weinberg in developing Island Universe, which he considers “drawings of time,” with “each rod a measure of time—every inch, time doubles.”
A companion installation to the forthcoming PST ART: Art & Science Collide exhibition Mapping the Infinite: Cosmologies Across Cultures.
This installation was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Generous support provided by Contemporary Projects Endowment Fund.
All exhibitions at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Exhibition Fund. Major annual support is provided by The David & Meredith Kaplan Foundation, with generous annual funding from Louise and Brad Edgerton, Edgerton Foundation, Tanya Fileva, Mary and Daniel James, Bert Levy Fund, Justin Lubliner, Alfred E. Mann Charities, Kelsey Lee Offield, Maggie Tang, Lenore and Richard Wayne, and Marietta Wu and Thomas Yamamoto.
Josiah McElheny, Island Universe, 2008, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by an anonymous donor, © Josiah McElheny, photo © Todd White Art Photography, courtesy White Cube
- September 12, 2024–Ongoing
- Resnick Pavilion
- Closed Today
This installation was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Generous support provided by Contemporary Projects Endowment Fund.
All exhibitions at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Exhibition Fund. Major annual support is provided by The David & Meredith Kaplan Foundation, with generous annual funding from Louise and Brad Edgerton, Edgerton Foundation, Tanya Fileva, Mary and Daniel James, Bert Levy Fund, Justin Lubliner, Alfred E. Mann Charities, Kelsey Lee Offield, Maggie Tang, Lenore and Richard Wayne, and Marietta Wu and Thomas Yamamoto.
Josiah McElheny, Island Universe, 2008, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by an anonymous donor, © Josiah McElheny, photo © Todd White Art Photography, courtesy White Cube