The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Los Angeles

In the autumn of 1983, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) established a temporary exhibition space known as the "Temporary Contemporary." This new venue was situated on the outskirts of a warehouse district in Los Angeles, where many local artists were active at the time. On November 17, 1983, the museum celebrated the opening of this building with a Shinto purification ceremony. This ritual, often conducted during groundbreaking events in Little Tokyo, symbolized the mutual recognition and connection between the Japanese community and the museum.

Spanning an impressive 55,000 square feet, this facility offers artists significant freedom and encourages them to experiment with their creations. It is the largest among the three MOCA locations and is particularly well-suited for showcasing large-scale sculptural works, as well as conceptual, multi-media, and electronic installations. Typically, this space is utilized to exhibit more recent artworks, often produced by lesser-known artists, or pieces that require a substantial amount of space. Some of these artworks are specifically designed for the Geffen Contemporary's unique setting.

MOCA's permanent collection, which comprises nearly 6,000 works, is predominantly composed of gifts from several prominent private collectors. These generous contributions serve as the foundation of the museum's collection, with over 90% of its holdings originating from board members who either donated, bequeathed, or offered their artworks to the museum under favorable terms. In addition to retrospectives of artists and explorations of art history, MOCA, under the guidance of chief curator Paul Schimmel, has organized various thematic exhibitions featuring multiple artists, often addressing provocative or challenging subjects.