The Petersen Automotive Museum has opened a new exhibition, “Arsham Auto Motive,” a collection of vehicle sculptures and posters created by interdisciplinary artist Daniel Arsham, the museum announced.
Now open to the public in the Armand Hammer Foundation Gallery, the showcase provides a time capsule of automotive history. Arsham’s personal passion for cars and fascination with archeology takes form through the presentation of four full-scale vehicles in his signature “eroded” fictional archeological technique.
According to the museum, Arsham crafts objects which investigate ideas of history, symbology and pop culture through the selection of vehicles featured in notable Hollywood films. Presented in geological materials, these familiar objects act as remnants of the present through the eyes of future audiences, providing an alternative lens to some of the world’s most prominent OEMs, the artist said.
On display in “Arsham Auto Motive” are the “Eroded 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback,” 1955 “Porsche 356 Speedster,” 2018 “Eroded Ferrari” and 2022 “Blue Calcite Eroded Porsche 911.” Unlike their namesakes, these sculptures consist of elements like selenite, quartz, pyrite and volcanic ash to manifest an unearthed effect. Additional exhibit highlights are the never-before-seen “Selenite Eroded BMW Poster,” “Amethyst Eroded Porsche 911 Poster,” and “Ash and Pyrite Eroded Mustang Poster.”
“I’m excited to share my work with the city of Los Angeles and its vast community of car enthusiasts,” said Arsham. “Automotive design is in a constant state of evolution and this exhibition strives to reflect both its origins and future.”
“Having previously exhibited Keith Haring and Andy Warhol’s work, it is evident that pop culture and the automotive sector make for an exciting, crowd-pleasing combination,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “Daniel Arsham’s talent makes a strong case that cars can inspire artistic creations while also serving as art pieces themselves.”
