Made in L.A. 2027 to Be Curated by Hammer Chief Curator Michael Wellen and MOCA’s José Luis Blondet
The Hammer Museum has named Michael Wellen and José Luis Blondet as co-curators of the eighth edition of the Made in L.A. biennial, scheduled to open in fall 2027. Wellen, who became the Hammer’s chief curator after joining in April from Tate Modern, and Blondet, a senior curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) since 2023, said they are beginning research with studio visits and aim to avoid preconceived ideas about Los Angeles. Wellen’s recent projects at Tate Modern include a retrospective of Ana Mendieta and exhibitions for Philip Guston (2023), Lubaina Himid (2021), and Takis (2019), while Blondet has organized MOCA shows for Olafur Eliasson and Ana Segovia (both 2024) and will open exhibitions this fall on Alexander Apóstol’s 2018 series “Regime: Dramatis Personae” and Cecilia Vicuña’s commission “Quipu of Encounters: The Dream of Water.” Blondet said he was inspired by the first Made in L.A. in 2012 and had long hoped to curate the biennial, while Wellen said his recent arrival in LA may bring a different perspective.
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This story was covered in Restitution Reckonings and Museums on the Brink