http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/levitated-mass
http://www.lacma.org/levitated-mass-map
Levitated Mass by artist Michael Heizer is composed of a 456-foot-long slot constructed on LACMA's campus, over which is placed a 340-ton granite megalith. As with other works by the artist, such as Double Negative (1969), the monumental negative form is key to the experience of the artwork. Heizer conceived of the artwork in 1968, but discovered an appropriate boulder only decades later, in Riverside County, California. At 340 tons, the boulder is one of the largest megaliths moved since ancient times. Taken whole, Levitated Mass speaks to the expanse of art history, from ancient traditions of creating artworks from megalithic stone, to modern forms of abstract geometries and cutting-edge feats of engineering.
UPDATE, Wednesday, February 29, 8:20 am: Last night at about 10:40 pm, the transporter carrying the 340-ton megalith left the quarry in Riverside County. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCW0suiGZKQ>Watch the video.
All went well on the first leg of the journey, which saw the transporter travel approximately five miles in four and a half hours. Nearly half of that time was spent making a sharp turn from Granite Hill Drive onto Country Village Road. As of now the transporter is parked at its planned first stop, at the intersection of Bellegrave Avenue and Mission Boulevard in Glen Avon. The second leg of the journey will begin tonight and will take the boulder approximately ten miles to its second stop, near Ontario Airport.
Transport, made possible by Hanjin Shipping, is taking place over the course of roughly eleven nights, traveling through four counties (Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and Los Angeles) and twenty-two cities. The transporter carrying the boulder, specially designed for maximum safety, is traveling a predetermined route with movement happening only at night. The map below outlines the route.
Follow us on Twitter @LACMA #LevitatedMass for live updates.