January 31, 2023

Good morning. 🌧️ Last Friday, I attended an opening at Urban Glass in downtown Brooklyn, the city's largest nonprofit glass art gallery and workshop space. I was immediately struck by the warm and welcoming energy of this veteran institution. There, visitors teared up and consoled each other while creating a memorial to the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida, and then cheered on a lineup of drag performances. In the back of everyone's mind was the horrific video footage of the police murder of Tyre Nichols, released earlier that night. I just thought I'd share this strong impression with you.

Today we have a list of excellent exhibitions to see in Los Angeles this February, and several reviews, including Uta Barth at the Getty Center. We also have news about a historical railroad spike that sold for $2 million at auction and the discovery of what could be Egypt's oldest-known mummy, or "mummified person," if you read our last newsletter. 

— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor

4,000-Year-Old Mummy May Be Egypt’s Oldest

The excavation project also yielded Old Kingdom-era amulets, stoneware, and daily-use tools. | Rhea Nayyar

IN THE NEWS

A steel railroad spike clad in gold and silver used in the ceremony marking the completion of the transcontinental railroad, May 10, 1869 (all images courtesy Christie’s)

• A historic steel spike that commemorated the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad sold for over $2 million at auction.

• A $3.3 million grant from California’s Creative Corps is allowing the Cultural Mapping project to expand to other zip codes in the state.

EXHIBITIONS ON OUR RADAR

Uta Barth Chases Light at the Getty Center

Her solo exhibition at the Los Angeles institution demonstrates how natural light can turn an overlooked, everyday setting into a sublime landscape. | Renée Reizman

How Do We Embody Natural Spaces?

Nicola López and Paula Wilson’s exhibition Becoming Land considers anthropocentric relationships with New Mexico’s desert landscapes. | Rachel Harris-Huffman

Your Concise Los Angeles Art Guide for February 2023

Your list of must-see, fun, insightful, and very Los Angeles art events this month, including Alicia Piller, Brad Phillips, Mulyana, the MexiCali Biennial, and more. | Matt Stromberg

Support Hyperallergic's independent journalism

Become a member today to help keep our reporting and criticism free and accessible to all.

MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC

Diana Al-Hadid’s Nostalgic Tribute to Penn Station

Al-Hadid’s new mosaic features the famed clock that hung at the entrance of the original station until the building was demolished in the 1960s. | Taylor Michael

The Mind-Bending Films of Pa,Sacio Davinci

A festival dedicated to Davinci’s The King Show celebrates the LA artist's trippy remixing of stock footage, Hollywood cinema, and theater. | Matt Stromberg

A New Sourcebook of Indian Art

20th Century Indian Art: Modern, Post-Independence, Contemporary surveys the many distinct aspects of art in South Asia. | Nageen Shaikh

MOST POPULAR

1. Forget “Mummy,” It’s “Mummified Person” Now

2. Machu Picchu Indefinitely Closed Amid Political Protests

3. The Single Detail That Changed My Mind About Alex Katz

4. What Does TikTok’s “Corecore” Have to Do With Dada?

5. The Biggest Shitshow Ever, Literally