Skip to Content
Art

Blu Mural Destruction ~ MOCA

This has been all over the art world news, but in case you didn't hear, Blu (an Italian street artist) had a commissioned mural on the wall of MOCA painted over before it was even complete. The reasons given by gallery director Jeffrey Deitch, that the mural might be offensive to the local community, were not convincing and we've yet to hear a good theory as to why the mural was destroyed. Above is the best picture we've seen yet of the unfinished mural before it was painted over. Credit: KORI. Click for a large version.

Blu commented on his blog:

some photos of the work in progress and a global view of the muralthe main idea is understandable but unfortunately the piece is not finishedI didn’t feel so motivated to spend more time on it once i learned that it was going disappear the day after.I am stupid but not masochist.

meanwhile a very interesting debate is happening on internetand, wonders of rhetoric, the word “censorship” magically disappearsnow you can call it a “curatorial choice”I almost totally agree with this interpretationit is, in fact, a CURATORIAL CHOICE that involves the CENSORSHIP of a mural.

still unsure? check the word definition

...

this time news are going faster than my blogi will make a short resume:

1. Moca asks me to paint a mural2. I go to L.A. to paint the piece and I almost finish it3. the Moca director decides to erase the wall4. on the next day the mural is erased by Moca workers5. journalists are still not sure if this can be called censorship so they start asking my opinion about that

more photos and updates soon…

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

From the Kitchen to the Octagon: One L.A. Chef’s Journey Into the World of Mixed Martial Arts

Chef Walther Adrianzen survived a diabetic coma. He then lost more than 30 lbs. and fought in his first mixed martial arts match.

April 19, 2026

You Think L.A. Smog is Bad Now? Let’s Set the Record Straight

“I remember my eyes stinging and my lungs burning [from smog]," UCLA environmental law professor Ann Carlson writes in ‘Smog and Sunshine.'

April 18, 2026

Daily Memo: ICE Arrests Plaintiff of Federal Lawsuit Challenging ICE Raids

A second ICE-custody death has also been reported this week, while acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has submitted his resignation and will leave the agency after the end of May.

April 17, 2026

The 4/20 Guide to Underground Parties and Events in L.A.

A free music festival, a record shop pop-up, and other underground ways to celebrate 4/20 cannabis culture in 2026!

See all posts