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The Los Angeles County Museum of Art's "Urban Light" will be going dark, at least for a few months. The Art Newspaper reports that the popular public installation will be temporarily turned off on May 1 for repairs.Chris Burden's large-scale assemblage of 202 vintage street lamps quickly became an L.A. icon after being turned on in February 2008, but years of direct exposure to sunlight have taken their toll on the lampposts. The fading gray paint has begun to blanch out, leading to mottled uneven surfaces on the poles, according to Art Newspaper.
"The repainting of Urban Light is the culmination of two years work to find an alternative paint system that is durable and possesses the right sheen and meets California's new volatile organic compounds regulations—not an easy task," Mark Gilberg, the director of LACMA's conservation center, told Art Newspaper.
The installation will be fenced off from the public during the restoration period, which is projected to last two months.
[h/t: CurbedLA]
