Challan, a lifestyle content creator who goes by only one name and who has amassed 5.4 million followers on TikTok, plots her visit at the David Geffen Galleries. (Photo by Alex Zaragoza / L.A. Material)
LAST MONTH, THE DAVID GEFFEN GALLERIES AT LACMA finally opened following years of controversy. The $724 million curved concrete structure that swoops over Wilshire Boulevard has been described by critics as “monotonous,” “meandering,” and “disorienting” but also as “radically alive,” with one reviewer likening its design to something out of The Jetsons.
But forget what architecture critics have to say: What do the people who visit the galleries with the grid top of mind think? The ones who have dedicated years to posing in flattering contortions between the lampposts of LACMA’s “Urban Light” installation; the ones who know exactly where to get the cutest angle for Instagram and the most engaging shots for TikTok?
Which spot within the new David Geffen Galleries’ winding halls will become the backdrop to photos you see posted all over social media?
To find out, I sought out an expert. I spent a lovely afternoon roaming the new LACMA galleries with Challan, a lifestyle content creator who goes by only one name and who has amassed 5.4 million followers on TikTok. The 28-year-old, who was born in Barbados and now lives in L.A., has racked up nearly 300 million likes posting TikToks of herself renewing her driver’s license, glamping, and getting ready for anything from grabbing ice cream to hitting a movie premiere.
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