Leonardo DiCaprio Plans to Donate Alum's Installation to LACMA

Leonardo DiCaprio has announced plans to donate a large-scale installation by John Gerrard (MFA 2000) to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in an effort to raise awareness of environmental issues. The work, Solar Reserve (Tonopah, Nevada), is one of five editions and two artist proofs. Artforum reports one is owned by the Borusan Museum in Istanbul and another has been acquired by MoMA in New York. Solar Reserve was shown outside of New York’s Lincoln Center last year and will soon be on view at Art Basel in Switzerland.

Solar Reserve is a hyper-realistic computer simulation of a solar thermal power plant situated in Nevada’s desert landscape, shown on a 28 x 24 inch LED wall. The power plant consists of 10,000 mirrors that, to generate electricity, reflect light onto a central tower and adjust their positions according to the location of the sun. The press release explains, “As this virtual world rotates on the earth’s axis throughout a 24-hour day, the perspective of the viewer gradually shifts from ground level to satellite view every 60 minutes, so that no view is precisely the same at any point during the course of the exhibition.” Blake Gopnik for Artnet reviewed Solar Reserve at the Lincoln Center calling it, “the latest, and best-ever piece by Irish artist John Gerrard.”

The LA Times explains that DiCaprio will purchase the work through a gallery on behalf of the museum. "Whether it is through art or other venues, we must work to promote a healthy and sustainable future for our planet and I hope to continue to bring additional exhibits to Los Angeles and beyond that promote this message," says DiCaprio.

Image: Iñaki Vinaixa