Transforming Los Angeles into a Massive Art Installation
The Billboard Creative x The Hammer Museum: Expanding Made in L.A. into the Cityscape
In partnership with The Hammer Museum, The Billboard Creative brings Made in L.A. beyond the museum walls and into the heart of Los Angeles. This collaboration transforms billboards in MacArthur Park into an open-air exhibition, integrating contemporary art into the daily rhythms of the city. The choice of MacArthur Park was intentional—not traditionally seen as an ‘art-centric’ neighborhood, it offers a setting where art exists outside conventional gallery spaces. Yet, the area has a rich creative history, with CalArts and Otis College having roots there, alongside artist studios and a growing gallery presence. By placing Made in L.A. in this evolving cultural landscape, the project highlights both the accessibility and continuity of artistic expression in Los Angeles.
A conversation with the Hammer Museum's Made in L.A. 2020: a version curators Myriam Ben Salah and Lauren Mackler
The Billboard Creative has always been dedicated to transforming public space into an open-air gallery, and for Made in LA 2020: a version, the exhibition’s exploration of Los Angeles’ creative landscape extended onto the city’s billboards. Artist Larry Johnson, whose work was selected for the billboard component of the show, has long challenged the aesthetics and messaging of advertising and American consumer culture—making him a compelling choice for this public art intervention.
Johnson’s practice, rooted in graphic design and conceptual art, deconstructs familiar formats, remixing text and image to reveal witty, layered commentary on entertainment, media, and cultural narratives. His approach aligns seamlessly with the billboard as a medium, playing with its visual language while subverting its traditional function.
To further explore the ideas behind Made in LA 2020: a version and the role of public art in contemporary discourse, The Billboard Creative sat down with the exhibition’s guest co-curators, Myriam Ben Salah and Lauren Mackler, who organized the biennial alongside the Hammer Museum’s Ikechukwu Onyewuenyi, assistant curator of performance. In this conversation, they discuss the themes of the exhibition, the artists’ works, and the ways in which art in public spaces fosters unexpected engagement with the city.