Banksy Pays For Your MOCA Admission

Via LAist: The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) announced today that it will offer free admission every Monday until August 8, courtesy of British street artist Banksy.

Banksy's donation is in honor of the Art in the Streets exhibition, which is on display in the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA until mid-August. The controversial graffiti artist, painter, and filmmaker's reasoning for the gift is simple -- "I don't think you should have to pay to look at graffiti," he told MOCA's The Curve blog. Indeed, the work of Banksy and other celebrated street artists has been found all over LA, completely free of charge.

Art in the Streets, though, has been "drawing record attendance," according to MOCA Director and exhibition co-curator Jeffrey Deitch. He and associate curators Roger Gastman and Aaron Rose have gathered an impressive collection of installations by 50 of the world's most talked-about street artists. The exhibition also addresses the development of graffiti and street art, and highlights the photographers and filmmakers who document the controversial genre. If you need any more proof of the dynamic nature of the show, read one of the Huffington Post's four pieces about it here, here, here, and here. And now that the exhibit is free every Monday, it can have the democratic atmosphere of street art in its natural setting, albeit without the dangerous freeway underpasses and dark alleys.

Comments

[Paul Houston]

02:04 PM on 06/20/2011

What a great idea. I went to the "Cans Festival" Banksy set up in London.

[PaticaDeGato]

04:20 PM on 06/12/2011

Fabulous. I wish I could be in LA (now and anytime).

[Mat Gleason]

08:57 PM on 06/10/2011

Will Trutanich subpoena the cancelled check?

[thrugreeneyez]

08:56 PM on 06/10/2011

We saw the exhibit and it is fantastic!!!! Now I'll go again on a Monday for sure!

[sophia jones]

05:56 PM on 06/10/2011

“I don’t think you should have to pay to look at graffiti. You should only pay if you want to get rid of it,” is the full quote from the artist - author forgot the punchline.

[leorangerie]

01:54 PM on 06/10/2011

This guy understands the modern art world better than the art world understands the art world. He's the Madonna of contemporary art. And good for him.

[Sh00Fly]

11:54 AM on 06/10/2011

Ok so who's gonna pay for Fri-Sunday?
RISK. Doesn't have that kind of loot.
:)
Shep?

[americancolonyinhell]

10:18 AM on 06/10/2011

Exit Through the Gift Shop lingers in the mind - at least, this one - long after viewing.

[goodintentions1]

03:59 AM on 06/10/2011

nice. But I thought MOCA was closed on Mondays?

[Sh00Fly]

04:24 AM on 06/10/2011

Nope
They're closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thursdays are free too.

[DRaymond]

02:49 AM on 06/10/2011

There appears to be come confusion.  The writeup here mentions free admission to MOCA while the press release mentions free admission to the Geffen Contemporary.  While both are run by the same organization they are different facilities separated by a fair distance.

[Sh00Fly]

04:20 AM on 06/10/2011

MOCA is one museum that has 3 locations.
The links in the article directs the viewer to the appropriate location.
The article also indicates that its at The Geffen.

I'm not sure how you missed that.

[DRaymond]

11:32 AM on 06/10/2011

I didn't miss that, but somebody reading just the article here, which just said MOCA, might have gone to the Grand Avenue main location, which is what most people think of when you just say MOCA, on Monday and been disappointed.

[thedave108]

11:44 PM on 06/09/2011

Thanks Banks...I'll be there..............