PST ART - Downtown Los Angeles

Between Sep. 15, 2024 and Feb. 16, 2025, cultural institutions and art galleries across Southern California will unite under a single theme. PST ART: Art & Science Collide, is a Getty initiative that challenges artists and curators to consider today’s hot topics and historic perspectives.

For PST ART, participating institutions in the Downtown Los Angeles area have organized everything from galleries lasting into the new year, to theatrical performances and one-offs taking place between this fall and early 2025. Use the guide below to plan your trip and make the most of your time in Downtown LA.

Downtown Los Angeles is served by the Metro A, B, D and E rail lines, as well as a number of buses. Use Metro Rider’s Guide before you leave to plan your trip. Fill up your TAP card with enough money to take multiple trips, but note that you do get two hours of free transfers after every tap of your card. You’ll ride for free after your three rides, but you’ll still need to tap your card at every entrance point. When you’ve arrived downtown, use a map or public transit app to keep track of when your next bus or train is set to arrive.

Stay at one of the many hotel offerings in the heart of the action and walk to the shows. One of architect Frank Gehry’s latest masterpieces, the Conrad sparkles with glass accents and two Jose Andres restaurants. On the other end of the time continuum, the historic Biltmore Los Angeles, a popular film location and celebrity hot spot for 100 years.

A spectacular realization of Art & Science Collide, PST ART will open to the public with WE ARE: Explosion Event for PST ART, a monumental artwork by world-renowned artist Cai Guo-Qiang and his custom AI model cAI™ (pronounced AI Cai), newly commissioned by Getty. Presented by Getty in collaboration with the University of Southern California, WE ARE will take place at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, September 15.

The Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (aka REDCAT) is a multidisciplinary arts space located at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The gallery is always free to visit and is open on Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6pm. Tickets for all PST ART events are on sale at the REDCAT website.

All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace
(Sep. 12, 2024 - Feb. 23, 2025)
With a title lifted from Richard Brautigan’s famed poem, All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace explores the impact of artificial intelligence on humanity through the works of artists across disciplines that envision alternative AI models. In addition to the gallery exhibition, the project includes live performance and a screening.

AI: African Intelligence
(Sep. 16)
As part of All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace, REDCAT will host a screening of AI: African Intelligence on September 16. The film essay from Manthia Diawara asks how society might look towards a more thoughtful approach to the algorithms that drive tech. The screening begins at 8pm.

The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes
(Sep. 26-28)
From Australia’s Back to Back Theatre, The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes is a one-hour play that asks the question, “When artificial intelligence takes over human intelligence, how will people be treated?” Written by and starring neurodivergent actors, the performance makes it Los Angeles debut at REDCAT as part of the All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace programming. Showtime is at 8:30pm.

The Body is the Interface
(Nov. 2)
The Body is the Interface brings together two separate performances that address the themes of the All Watched Over By Machines of Love Grace program. CalArts alum Oglala Lakħóta, known by the artist name Kite, uses a custom computer that turns her movement into sound for the piece, Wičháȟpi Wóihaŋbleya (Dreamlike Star). Mexico City-based Interspecifics will perform Meta Sincronía 1.0, a live audio/visual composition made with a feedback processor that functions in connection with a heart-rate monitor. The hour-long performance will take place on Saturday, November 2 at 8:30pm.

Prometheus Firebringer
(Jan. 24- 25, 2025)
Theater director Annie Dorsen brings Prometheus Firebringer, her performance and lecture, to REDCAT as part of All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace in early 2025. Using GPT-4 and AI-generated masks, she draws connections between the themes in Greek mythology and the impact of technology today. Both the Friday and Saturday performances will start at 8:30pm and run for under an hour.

Presented by the LA Phil in partnership with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Noon to Midnight: Field Recordings is a 12-hour festival held at Walt Disney Concert Hall. In keeping with PST ARTs theme, this year’s event will connect art, nature and tech via its focus on field recordings. The centerpiece of the festival is Lightscape from artist Doug Aitken, a multimedia project that includes film, an installation and live music performed by the LA Phil’s New Music Group and the Master Chorale. The event is free and runs on Saturday, November 16 from noon until midnight.

Co-created by Janani Balasubramanian, Natalie Gosnell and Andrew Kircher, The Gift is a free, one-night-only event at The Music Center that connects folks of all ages with the night sky through music and an illustrated book telling the story of two stars. At this indoor/outdoor event, attendees will gather inside Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and outside at The Music Center's Jerry Moss Plaza. Time is TBA.

The nearly century-old Central Library building is an art and architecture gem with a fascinating history. To take a docent-led tour of the building, check the library’s schedule. If you’re visiting with a group of 8 or more, make arrangements at least a month prior for your tour.

No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention
(Sep. 14, 2024 - May 11, 2025)
The Los Angeles Public Library digs into its wealth of patent and intellectual property resources as source material and inspiration for No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention. The exhibition, which will be on view in the Getty Gallery at the Central Library, will include works from Mixografia, Pippa Garner and KAOS Network. Coinciding with the show’s run is a series of free programs and events hosted at LAPL branches across the city.

Alta/A Human Atlas of a City of Angels
(Jan. 13 - Apr. 27, 2025)
Marcus Lyon, who has previously built Human Atlas projects in Brazil, Germany and Detroit, takes a look at 100 Angelenos in Alta/A Human Atlas of a City of Angels. The exhibition includes photography, DNA maps and interviews to tell the story of LA through its residents. The exhibit will be located in the First Floor Galleries of the Central Library.

For decades, artist Mark Ruwedel has documented the Los Angeles Basin through photographs and hand-drawn maps. The four parts of his Los Angeles, Landscapes of Four Ecologies have never been exhibited together - until PST ART. Los Angeles will be on view at Gallery Luisotti from September 20 through November 23. The gallery is located in Downtown LA about a half-mile from the 7th Street/Metro Center Station and is just a few blocks away from The United Theater on Broadway. Gallery Luisotti is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:30am to 6pm.

As part of its All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace programming, REDCAT is partnering with CAP UCLA to present Live Night: Cruising Bodies, Spirits and Machines at The United Theater on Broadway. Taking place on Saturday, December 7, the event includes performances from LA-based artist rafa esparza, Mexico’s MUXX collective and other artists unified in their work with tech who look at transmigrant and ancestral futures. Live performances and DJ sets will take place both on stage and throughout the Grand Lobby of the historic theatre. Tickets are available via REDCAT.

Visual and performance artist Nao Bustamante brings together multiple disciplines in Bloom, where she considers the medical devices and history associated with pelvic examinations to consider issues surrounding body autonomy. Track 16 Gallery is located in two different suites of the Bendix Building - one on the first floor and one on the 10th - so check the gallery’s website when the show opens to see where you should go during your visit.

The Bendix Building is located near Santee Alley in the Fashion District. It’s a little more than a half-mile walk from Gallery Luisotti and The United Theater on Broadway. There are several buses that will drop you off fairly close to the building, so if you want to take Metro, check your map and public transit apps to figure out the best route. Otherwise, use your preferred rideshare app or plan on driving. If you drive, check the Fashion District's guide to parking lots beforehand. It will save time you might otherwise spend circling the neighborhood in search of a spot. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm. There is no entrance fee.

In Downtown LA there are plenty of dining options at varying price points.

• At the landmark Grand Central Market, you can find anything from pupusas from La La Land to ramen to The Donut Man’s seasonal treats.
• When hunger hits near the Central Library, you’ll find a bounty of fast, casual and budget-friendly options on 7th Street near the Metro station, including LA fave Zankou Chicken.
• For an upscale brunch, lunch or dinner, Bottega Louie is also located on 7th Street a short walk from the Central Library. Don’t forget to pick up some of their famed macarons to take home.
• Sushi aficionados should check out Sugarfish, best known for its 10-item "Trust Me" set menu.
• From the library, you’re also walking distance from the charming St. Vincent Food Court, designed to look like a European village and semi-hidden in an alley behind St. Vincent Jewelry Center.
• Brunch at Perch for rooftop city views just steps from Pershing Square and The Biltmore.
• If you’re heading from Gallery Luisotti to Track 16, pop in for one of LA’s favorite tacos or a burrito at Sonoratown.