Jeff Koons' 11-meter-tall (37-foot) sculpture, Split-Rocker, which is covered in more than 50,000 live plants, is scheduled to be permanently placed outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) later in 2025. Longtime museum visitors Lynda and Stewart Resnick contributed the imposing piece of art, which derives its form from horticulture design. It will stand as the centerpiece of a brand-new outdoor public art initiative linked to LACMA's upcoming David Geffen Galleries, which Peter Zumthor designed and are scheduled to open in 2026.
Jeff Koons’s 11-Meter-Tall Piece to Bloom Year-Round in Los Angeles
The Split-Rocker, designed with an internal irrigation system and planted with drought-tolerant flowers suitable for Southern California, changes appearance as the plants develop and bloom. Its shape combines the heads of a dinosaur toy and a kid's rocking horse into one enormous, somewhat mismatched object. A surreal combination that is both comical and reflective—qualities that frequently characterize Koons’ work—is the end result.
The sculpture by the American artist stands at the entrance to the redesigned LACMA complex, signifying the changes occurring both inside and outside the new structure. The plaza level of LACMA's new building north of Wilshire Boulevard is being activated as the summer of 2025 approaches, providing the public with their first glimpse of Peter Zumthor's eagerly anticipated David Geffen Galleries. As an extension of the museum's civic presence, the shaded ground-level areas beneath the raised structure are intended to accommodate a range of public programming, including performances, events, and outdoor education.
A Monument of Petals and Steel
At the same time, LACMA is expanding its outdoor art footprint across 3.5 acres of newly designed public space. Koons’ monumental Split-Rocker will be among the first major works to activate the reimagined grounds, setting the tone for the evolving outdoor collection of the institution.
The entire plaza on the north side of Wilshire is set to become a site-specific installation by Mariana Castillo Deball, while a monumental textile work by Los Angeles–based artist Sarah Rosalena will occupy one of the new interior spaces of the museum. Additional sculptures and interventions by Liz Glynn, Thomas Houseago, Shio Kusaka, Pedro Reyes, and Diana Thater will gradually populate the campus.
Several iconic works from LACMA’s collection will return, including Tony Smith’s Smoke, Alexander Calder’s Three Quintains (Hello Girls), and the Rodin collection, which will be housed in the redesigned Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Sculpture Garden. Previews of the building begin in June 2025, followed by a phased art installation leading up to the museum’s full reopening in April 2026.
Split-Rocker Takes Root in L.A.
The arrival of this specific Split-Rocker, which is the artist's proof from an edition of one, carries on LACMA's long-standing partnership with Koons. The museum has previously displayed the artist's stainless steel pieces, such as Rabbit, Balloon Dog (Blue), and Cracked Egg (Red). An official invitation to the museum's BCAM opening ceremony in 2008 also featured a small version of Cracked Egg.
The museum expects the work to be a year-round presence, a rare condition for one of Koons’s monumental floral sculptures, which are often temporary due to climate restrictions.
Photos by Tom Powel and Jeff Koons. Feature image by Laurent Lecat at @jeffkoons.
