Florence in Ruin: An Excavation

An exhibition staged in the theatre of the Velaslavasay Panorama

Friday, November 13, 2026 - 11:00am to Saturday, December 19, 2026 - 5:45pm

Florence in Ruin: An Excavation 

November 13, 2026 - December 19, 2026

Florence in Ruin: An Excavation is an installation that organizes and displays a psychic fixation on the Port of Long Beach as a terminal for corruption, paranoia, petroleum industries, and the transmission of art history. 

The installation will have an opening reception Thursday, November 12th, 2026, with an introduction by Norman Klein and Margo Bistis and a slideshow presentation by Sara Velas and Ruby Carlson of Florence in Ruin—or—The Great Escape.

Florence in Ruin: An Excavation is staged in the theatre of the Velaslavasay Panorama November 13, 2026 - December 19, 2026 and accessible during open hours by appointment ($7 suggested donation).

Opening reception: Thursday, November 12, 2026 7:30pm.

Ticket: $18 (Free for VPES members with advance registration)  Reservation link forthcoming

Archivists Ruby Carlson and Sara Velas will present a 20 min. experimental slideshow Florence in Ruin—or—The Great Escape as the debut event for the exhibition Florence in Ruin: An Excavation, with an introduction and discussion by Norman Klein and Margo Bistis. This event is the inaugural iteration of the series The Archival Phantasist, co-curated by Sara Velas, Ruby Carlson, Norman Klein and Margo Bistis. 

 

Florence in Ruin: An Excavation is a part of the 2026 Hyper SoCal initiative, which brings awareness to nonprofit and municipal art venues supporting working artists in Southern California. The exhibition is made possible in part by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Velaslavasay Panorama Enthusiast Society.