Details

Excavations is a site-specific installation by artist Mark Dion at the La Brea Tar Pits, developed as part of Pacific Standard Time: Art x Science x L.A. Centered around a monumental 10-foot pack rat skeleton—a metaphor for collecting—the exhibition brings together natural and cultural materials from Hancock Park with Dion’s drawings, historic dioramas, murals, and maquettes to create the illusion of a behind-the-scenes museum staging area. Developed through Dion’s multi-year residency, the installation playfully blurs the boundaries between art and science while inviting visitors to consider how museums collect, classify, and interpret the natural world—and how those practices shape what we know.

As Associate Director, Special Projects, I oversaw the fabrication and installation of the exhibition and led the content development, writing, design, and publication of an accompanying field guide, guiding both from concept through completion.

Project Stats

• Client: La Brea Tar Pits Museum

• Budget: $350K

• Size: 1200 SF

• Exhibition Design Partner: Mark Dion & NHM

• Completion: 2024