Mark Dion Talks Excavations
Mark Dion discusses his immersive, uncanny installation at La Brea Tar Pits.

Mark Dion’s immersive, uncanny installation at La Brea Tar Pits, Excavations, evokes a behind-the-scenes museum space, displaying new work alongside early museum murals, dioramas, and maquettes of Ice Age mammals in a playful, irreverent presentation in keeping with his meticulous yet mischievous approach. During an extended residency at the Tar Pits, Dion assisted with excavations, sorted microfossils, shadowed a taxidermist at the Natural History Museum, explored collections and archives, and interviewed researchers, educators, and floor staff to create this installation.