Wuh oh! Watch out, this one's a bit of a doozy~ It's gonna be a looooong write-up, I can feel it. Including a total of 31 images, which has gotta be a new record for my blog post with the most images. (When I write these travel blogs I usually pick the images first and roughly plan out what I wanna say about each. This way I can name the files in order and make life a whole lot easier.) This blog post is somewhat of a follow-up to this post where I explored other parts of DTLA, and part of a series where I (hopefully) visit every free museum in LA and the cool places near them, using public transit when possible.

In two days' time, 12/22/25 and 12/23/25, I visited (in chronological order):

1. The Getty Villa
2. The Bloc
3. FIGat7th
4. The Broad
5. The Museum of Contemporary Art
6. Angels Flight Railway
7. Grand Central Market
8. Los Angeles Central Library
9. The Bloc (again)
10. FIGat7th (again)

This post starts off pretty casual in tone, but it gets a little more serious and I guess... thoughtful, towards Day 2. It just kinda happened lol. #travel but half of it is me yapping about artworks—you have been warned. Without further ado, enjoy!

// Let's go to the Getty Villa!

I got to ride the E line!! I was so excited for this and it did not disappoint <3 This is the Kinki Sharyo P3010, specifically #1008 (though it had 1008B on the window; dunno what the letter means). Being a relatively new fleet, compared to the Breda A650 of the 90s, it is mighty nice~ I really enjoy riding light rails, especially when they're elevated high above the ground. Funnily enough, it wasn't until 15 minutes or so after I got onto the E line did I remember that this is, in fact, not my first time on the E line. I had genuinely forgotten that I must've taken the line when I went to the California Science Center last(?) time. At some point a compsci professor sat next to me. He was reading a Kindle so that already gives off aura. Then he started to grade exams and that reminded me that my grades for the fall quarter should be finalized by now 💀💀 I got off at the last stop: Santa Monica. Seeing the trains line up at the station is genuinely so beautiful 💛 The fact that they run once every 10 minutes or so is even more amazing! Waiter waiter more light rails please!! The last leg to the Villa was done on a good o' bus. When I watched this video by Miles in Transit, I though to myself, "huh I've never been on a bus that went on a highway right next to the ocean". Now I can happily say that I have! LA Metro 134 takes you on the Pacific Coast Highway, right next to the beaches. Was the scenery breathtaking? Ehh slightly; I've been spoiled by the Pacific Surfliner :P

// The Getty Villa

When I arrived, I had assumed that I could just walk up to the Villa. It's what Google Maps showed, after all. Well, turns out that's not the case—they have special "shuttles" (which are just regular five-seated cars) that drive you up which is kind of wild. What's even more wild is that parking is $25.

The architecture is quite nice. I've tried my best to capture it on camera, but it's really something you have to experience in person. In the second photo, there's this certain sense of grandeur you get when you look through the "gate" leading into the pool room.

The architecture tour guide pointed out that during rain, the rain water would be caught by the lion head sculptures and spill down the open ceiling, which I thought goes hard. One of the first thing I noticed walking into the museum was that many of the artifacts were on loan from the British Museum, which, yeah. I'll let the implication hang in the air. Above are some of my favorite artifacts I saw at the museum. I quite like the calcite used in the canopic jar. The horses in the terracotta cup look so whimsical and creature; there's something so human about drawing squiggly animals. I really, really like the face sculpt of this Muse, especially her expression. She's beautiful <3

This caught my attention because it's cute dogs and the colors reminded me of the trans flag. Happy Pride in December :]

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The Pacific Ocean~ The bus stop was right next to the beach. I probably could've found my way down somehow, but I decided otherwise because I wasn't sure if people are actually allowed down there, and I wasn't in the mood to get my shoes wet and sandy.

// The Bloc & FIGat7th

After the Villa, I made my way to The Bloc and FIGat7th (what peculiar names). In my opinion there wasn't much to see there, as I'm not one for food stores, though I did enjoy the Christmas vibes.

I tried out this sweater that was on sale but the size was too large for me. I like oversized clothing but this was way too big lol. There was a Target so of course I had to go in and see what Transformers toys they have. As I expected, the stock was abysmal. Is there some sort of correlation between the more metropolitan, urban city-center a Target is, the more abysmally stocked it is? It seems like every Target has WFC Megatron (MTMTE Collection) in stock right now. I like the design but I don't like the limited ankle tilt and WHY THE HECK IS IT $40??? Maybe I'll get it if it's super duper on sale. Cyberglow EarthSpark Megatron being a shelfwarmer? No surprise there. I feel like the glow in the dark plastic is a stupid gimmick. I already have the deluxe toy so I don't have much incentive to get this one except for the mace accessory lol.

To conclude, today was a fruitful trip! Free will is amazing. You can just go to places.

Back-to-back trips let's gooo 🔥🔥 Yesterday's trip was actually impromptu because I thought that today was gonna rain and foil my plans. Luckily, it didn't! The weather was real gloomy but my mood was joyous 🎄٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

// The Broad

For a weekday, there was way more people than I expected at The Broad. I've never seen an art museum this packed (and loud, too). I guess it makes sense given that this is like one of the top must-visit tourist spots in LA.

Why do people want photos of themselves with the artifacts? Similar reason as before: to remember the moment, to share with friends/family, and/or post on social media, which are all perfectly valid. While I do think that intentionally posing yourself to the camera as caught-in-the-moment, deeply in thought staring at a painting is a little pretentious, I do not think that's the intention of the majority of people. Plus, it's not like I can know anyone's intention anyway. Regardless of what I think, I think it's good that people are taking photos and sharing them online, as that brings more people to these amazing museums. Personally, I avoid taking selfies mostly because it's a bit embarrassing (even though logically I know I shouldn't be) and I don't like how most of them turn out (something something self image; another topic for another time). An interesting phenomenon I noticed—and have experienced myself—is that children often have their photos taken at the behest of their family, usually their parents. You see kids, who might be a little hesitant for one reason or another, being instructed to pose in front an artwork so that the parents can have a lovely photo to remember the occasion. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing; I just hope everyone taking the photos are spending more time viewing the artworks through their own eyes than through a screen. I repeat the last sentence to myself every time I go out haha. Ya gotta experience the moment live. (Is that corny? IDK. It's true though.)

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EXelento is by far my favorite artwork I saw at the Broad. There's so much you could say about it—well, so much I could say it, but any deeper analysis I have right now are underdeveloped. I did a little bit of reading about this piece, but it's nowhere near enough research for a coherent, thoughtful visual analysis mini-essay. So, I will stick to describing my initial reaction to seeing this artwork. The first thing I noticed was the sheer quantity and size. The next thing I noticed was that each sculpt is unique. Needless to say I was impressed by the craftsmanship and the dedication. I love how Gallagher uses the different geometric and organic shapes to evoke different hair textures. I can totally see myself referencing this piece for inspiration when I design hairstyles for characters!

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CHANGE IS THE BASIS OF ALL HISTORY, THE PROOF OF VIGOR. THE OLD IS SOILED AND DISGUSTING BY NATURE . . . SENILITY CRIPPILES THE GOVERNMENT THAT IS TOO POWERFUL TOO LONG. UPHEAVAL IS DESIRABLE BECAUSE FRESH, UNTAINTED GROUPS SEIZE OPPORTUNITY. VIOLENT OVERTHROW IS APPROPRIATE WHEN THE SITUATION IS INTOLERABLE . . . "NOTHING ESSENTIAL CHANGES." THAT IS A MYTH. IT WILL BE REFUTED. THE NECESSARY BIRTH CONVULSIONS WILL BE TRIGGERED. ACTION WILL BRING THE EVIDENCE TO YOUR DOORSTEP. — Jenny Holzer, quoted in the Inflammatory Essays

The above is an excerpt from the Inflammatory Essays by Jenny Holzer. They were printed on a wall that, together with the window, frames a dark walkway through the gallery. It's not hidden by any means and the placement/framing was probably intentional. I'd like to state that the only context I have for this was that the original was made in 1979–82 and posted on the streets of New York City anonymously; I have done no further research into the artwork. Now, why exactly did I want to note down this specific essay?

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The arrows with numbers resemble an anatomical diagram. Science, in popular understanding, consists of cold, hard facts that cannot be disputed. The arrows acutely pointing out details of the human body accentuate the notion that regardless of the individual's wishes, certain characteristics of their body exist and cannot be easily changed. The word rupture evokes the imagery of a sudden breakage and violent burst, calling upon the sentiment of an emotional outburst. Through the lens of someone experiencing physical dysphoria, the phrase "where is your rupture?" transforms into "where is your anger?". The discomfort they experience in their own body brews day by day. The arrows point to the perpetrator, the origination of the anger: the offending organs that should not be there. The use of the word "Yo" in the question phrases the inquirer as someone shouting, loudly drawing the attention of the figure to what they perceive as imperfections of their own body. In any case, the attention isn't a welcomed one—it is a cruel act of mockery.

So, yeah. I'm a big fan of this artwork, just not in the way the author intended it to be.

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// The MOCA

Surprise surprise, I didn't take any* photo there! I dunno why but I just didn't feel like it. I quite enjoyed the museum though, maybe even a little more than the Broad XD There was less people there and most importantly, quiet, like how a typical art museum is.

The most memorable artwork was the last one I saw before leaving: Spiderman by Mark Bradford. This artwork was an experience. Picture this: Walking into a dark room, dimly lit by a singular red light, you sit on the bench in the center of the room. Behind you are black curtains, and in front of you, a screen playing a video with no image, only sound and subtitles. I sat on the bench, tired from all the walking. I hadn't read the museum label printed on the wall outside so I have no idea what the context is. At first I thought the video was of a comedy, perhaps a TV series. Then I figured it must be a stand-up comedy show, but I had no way of knowing for sure. The comedian made a couple of references I did not understand; coupled with the audio quality, I assumed that the video must've been old (well, older than me at least). For a good while I didn't know what to make of this installation... until the material the comic was using had me raising some eyebrows. I didn't understand 100% of the jokes, but I felt that something was off. The jokes got a positive reaction from the audience, if the laugh track was anything to go by. But uhh, how should I say this, some of the language used by the comic did not seem like they would be appropriate in today's day and age. At first I thought I was imagining things for thinking that the punchline was homophobia, but then the subtitle added a duplication effect to the word "sissies" and yeah that confirms it. Then the comic brought up HIV—and I can assure you the joke was anything but empathetic towards those with HIV—and I was like woah WOAH WOAH hold on there. By this point alarm bells were going off in my head, but I still hand't quite figured out what the point of this installation was. What was the message that it was trying to get across? Something to do with homophobia in comedy and audience relation, probably, I thought. Imagine the look on my face when I walked outside and read this on the museum label:

In this installation, Bradford challenges the narrow representation of Black masculinity perpetuated by Eddie Murphy's controversial 1983 HBO stand-up special Deirious. Murphy' homophobic and misogynistic jokes, which stoked stigmas and fears in the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis, marked for the artist, "the moment that gay bashing entered into the public arena as something acceptable." In Spiderman, we hear the artist's voice set to a laugh track and paired with closed captions of scripted jokes about Michael Jackson's hair and Eazy-E's sexuality and AIDS diagnosis. Bradford adopts the voice of a fictional Black, transgender comedian that we never see, while a red spotlight on the floor ot the gallery stands in for Murphy's famous red leather jacket

Damn. My jaw dropped. I'm so glad I didn't read the label beforehand because the experience of going in completely unsuspecting with zero expectations, slowly coming to a realization, was glorious. Consider my eyes opened. MOCA was great and you should visit too 🟢🟦🔺

// Angels Flight & Grand Central Market

// The Los Angeles Central Library

On my way to the Central Library, I saw a bunch of pigeons sitting on a traffic light pole which I thought was awesome. It wasn't until after I got home and looked more closely at the photo did I realize that there was a hawk sitting on top of the street light like a boss! It's brown with a white-ish belly, which doesn't narrow down the species a whole lot.

The Central Library wasn't originally on my agenda, but seeing that it was on my way to 7th Street / Metro Center anyway I couldn't pass this opportunity. It is freaking GORGEOUSSSSSS!! It had 8 floors in total which is just wow. This has gotta be the biggest library I've ever been to. You know how when I went to The Last Bookstorea couple of days ago and found a book by Henry Jenkins and had taken it as a sign to read Convergence Culture? Well, now I'm putting it in motion! I borrowed the book from the library and will be reading it over the next week or so :3 Probably won't finish it but that's okay.

// The Bloc & FIGat7th