Archives

Artwork concept for the glass entrance pavilion and escalator landing walls.

Purple (D Line) Extension Transit Project

Metro’s Purple (D Line) Extension is a three-part rail project that will begin at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue, extending westward for about 9 miles with seven new stations.

Gathering of the Waters

Artist(s):

Rigo 23’s artwork engages Beverly Hills’ history as Tongva land and a place called “a gathering of waters.” In the artwork, water will be depicted in different stages of stillness and motion, animated as the Metro rider walks by. A waterscape framed by plant life strengthens connectedness to the natural world and history’s slower tempo, while also offering a respite from the hustle and bustle of the commute. Enlarged portraits of indigenous plants represent gifts to Spanish explorer Portola’s expedition by local Tongva representatives, a gesture of welcoming and generosity at the center of Los Angeles’ origin story. This generosity would not be reciprocated by the waves of European arrivals. The Tongva people and their culture were nearly erased by foreign cultural and religious impositions as well as the introduction of diseases to which the locals had no defenses. This project aims to contribute to the reversal of a multi-century long process of erasure, forgetting and replacing.