Trump And Epstein Re-create Iconic Scene From 'titanic' In Latest D.c. Sculpture: L.a. Arts And Culture This Weekend

Just successful clip for Oscar Sunday, 1 of nan country’s astir prolific satirical arts groups has erected a 3rd statue highlighting nan allegedly cozy narration betwixt President Trump and convicted activity trafficker Jeffrey Epstein by depicting nan men successful an iconic segment from nan blockbuster movie “Titanic.”

The 12-foot-tall aureate statue connected nan National Mall successful Washington, D.C., features Trump opinionated successful for Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack, and Epstein for Kate Winslet’s Rose, arsenic Trump holds Epstein from down connected nan front of a boat.

In a missive to The Times, a typical for nan anonymous group known arsenic Secret Handshake wrote that nan statue is titled “King of nan World,” a reference to nan words “Titanic” head James Cameron infamously shouted successful 1998 aft winning nan Oscar for director, and besides to Trump’s galore trolls astir being an existent king.

A plaque connected either broadside of nan statue reads, “The tragic emotion communicative betwixt Jack and Rose was built connected luxurious travel, raucous parties, and concealed nude sketches. This monument honors nan enslaved betwixt Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a relationship seemingly built connected luxurious travel, raucous parties, and concealed nude sketches.”

A plaque beside a satirical statue of President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein successful a re-creation of an iconic segment from nan movie “Titanic.”

(Secret Handshake)

The “nude sketch” successful mobility is nan drafting of a suggestive female shape that Trump allegedly included on his 50th day paper to Epstein, on pinch a statement that publication successful part, “may each time beryllium different awesome secret.”

The statue, Secret Handshake noted, is flanked by “10 elephantine banners honoring Trump and Epstein. Why? Because 2026 has been a banner twelvemonth for President Trump. Meaning he’s added elephantine banners of his look to national buildings each crossed DC. We want to thief him connected his ngo by tossing a fewer of our ain successful nan mix.”

This 3rd installation successful Secret Handshake’s increasing Trump-Epstein oeuvre follows January’s installation of a 10-foot-tall replica of Trump’s day paper to Epstein, which was signed by much than 500 passersby; and a spray-painted bronze statue titled “Best Friends Forever,” which featured Trump and Epstein gleefully holding hands. That 12-foot-tall inaugural introduction appeared connected nan National Mall successful September and was promptly taken down by nan National Park Service, which resulted successful a flurry of nationalist news coverage.

The basal permits for nan statue — which nan group had received — were yet honored and nan statue was yet reinstalled.

A rep for Secret Handshake said that since that permitting debacle, nan permits nan group has gotten person been granted without issue, “so far.”

I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt, casting my Oscar ballot for subversive creator expression. Here’s your arts and civilization news for nan week.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY

The Norton Simon Museum is 1 of nan galore institutions participating successful ArtNight Pasadena connected Friday.

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

ArtNight Pasadena
Cultural institutions ample and mini will partner to move Crown City into Art City for an evening of free programming featuring ocular arts, literate arts, dance, euphony and theater. Participants see nan Gamble House, Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, USC Pacific Asia Museum and galore more.
6-10 p.m. Locations passim Pasadena pinch shuttle work betwixt venues. cityofpasadena.net

Director Debra Granik pinch Coss Marte, Derek Drescher and Syretta Wright of “Conbody vs. Everybody” astatine nan 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Conbody vs Everybody
The caller director’s trim of Debra Granik’s episodic documentary chronicling nan efforts of erstwhile supplier trader Coss Marte and his Lower East Side gym to thief formerly incarcerated New Yorkers successfully re-enter nine receives its North American premiere this weekend. The bid was changeable from 2014-2021 and earlier versions of nan first 2 episodes premiered astatine nan 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Episodes 1-3: 7:30 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday; episodes 4-5: 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Billy Wilder Theater, UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. cinema.ucla.edu

Marco Martinez, from left, Jasmine Ashanti, Marie-Françoise Theodore, iesha m. daniels and Daisy Tichenor successful nan play “Fairview.”

(Jeff Lorch)

Fairview
Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play astir a Black woman’s efforts to propulsion Grandma nan cleanable day statement undercut by uncooperative family members. Directed by Oz Scott.
Through April 19. Rogue Machine Theatre astatine The Matrix, 7657 Melrose Ave. roguemachinetheatre.org

JR
The accumulation “Horizons” features 4 large-scale photographic interventions primitively created by nan French creator successful San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tehachapi and on nan U.S.-Mexico separator adjacent Tecate.
Through April 25. Perrotin, 5036 W, Pico Blvd. perrotin.com

Photography and nan Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985
Works by African American and Afro-Atlantic diaspora artists and activists show their contributions to nan Black Arts Movement and societal change.
Through June 14. J. Paul Getty Museum, 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. getty.edu

Sad Boys in Harpy Land
Experimental comedian creator Alex Tatarsky performs an absurdist activity blending references from Goethe, Dante, Amiri Baraka, Helen Adams and Seinfeld pinch autobiography.
8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown L.A. redcat.org

John Williams & Rachmaninoff
LA Phil’s main trumpet Thomas Hooten plays Williams’ “Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra” and Anna Handler conducts nan “Symphonic Dances” by Rachmaninoff.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

SATURDAY
Jack Pierson
Curator Hamza Walker and nan creator talk Pierson’s caller solo accumulation “Curtains,” rubbing connected nan themes and materials that spell into his connection sculptures composed from salvaged vintage signage and useful connected insubstantial steeped successful nan mythology of aged Hollywood.
11 a.m. Saturday; accumulation runs done April 18. Regen Projects, 6750 Santa Monica Blvd. regenprojects.com

Charles Gaines
The noted ocular creator translates Fluxus creator Benjamin Patterson’s “Variations for Double-Bass” into a creation performed by a 17-piece enclosure ensemble led by conductor John Eagle, pinch corresponding texts from a Patterson score. The capacity will beryllium followed by a 10-minute conversation.
8 p.m. Saturday. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu

Turandot
Pacific Opera Projects performs Puccini’s icy fairy communicative opera starring Shannon Jennings, Clay Hilley and Sara Duchovnay. Directed by POP creator head Josh Shaw.
7:30 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday and March 22. JACCC Aratani Theatre, 244 South San Pedro St., Little Tokyo. pacificoperaproject.com

SUNDAY

Greystone Mansion successful Beverly Hills.

(Iris Schneider / Los Angeles Times)

Greystone Mansion Tour
The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles visits nan 1927 Gordon B. Kaufmann-designed property successful each its 46,000-square-foot, Jazz Age grandeur, pinch panoramic views and a scandalous murder-suicide history.
11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills. artdecola.org

Alcée Chriss III
The Texas-born, gospel- and jazz-influenced keyboardist performs an organ recital pinch useful ranging from Rachmaninoff and Back to “Over nan Rainbow” by Harold Arlen.
7:30 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

This Shining Night
For this year’s “In Sacred Spaces” series, nan Los Angeles Master Chorale performs modern useful by Eric Whitacre, Reena Esmail, Shawn Kirchner and Morten Lauridsen, arsenic good arsenic Renaissance composer William Byrd and modern masters including Michael Abels and Jennifer Lucy Cook.
7:30 p.m. Sunday. St. Andrew Catholic Church, 311 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena; 4 p.m. March 21. La Verne Church of nan Brethren, 2425 E St. lamasterchorale.org

TUESDAY
She Dared to Dream
A caller documentary profiling Rep. Ayanna Pressley, nan first Black female elected to correspond Massachusetts successful Congress. Directed by Abby Ginzberg.
7 p.m. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. caamuseum.org

WEDNESDAY

Kristin Scott Thomas and Ralph Fiennes successful “The English Patient.”

(Phil Bray / Miramax Films)

The English Patient
A 35mm screening of nan 1996 multi-Oscar victor starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe and Kristin Scott Thomas. The film, written and directed by Anthony Minghella, will beryllium introduced by nan precocious filmmaker’s children, Hannah and Max Minghella.
7:30 p.m. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

THURSDAY
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
The yearly quiche meal for nan Susan B. Anthony Society for nan Sisters of Gertrude Stein is interrupted by atomic annihilation successful this immersive, 1956-set drama by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood — and you’re invited!.
7:30 p.m. Thursday done March 22 and March 26-29. Glendale Church of nan Brethren, 626 N. Pacific Ave. everythingimmersive.com

Matthew Morrison
The Tony-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated performer — and Orange County School of nan Arts alum — cuts loose connected his “Rhythms Revelations” tour.
7 p.m. Thursday-March 21. Segerstrom Center for nan Arts, Samueli Theater, 300 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa; 7:30 p.m. March 22. Plaza Theatre, 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. matthewmorrisontour.com

Arts anywhere

New releases of arts-related media.

Classical California
SCREEERWLRTCK!!! [record scratch]
In past week’s newsletter, I grounded to statement that bully ol’ KUSC has officially rebranded arsenic Classical California aft teaming up pinch San Francisco’s KDFC. (Our state’s power listeners apparently do not person arsenic adversarial a narration to 1 different arsenic SoCal/NoCal sports fans.) To further my humiliation, my smartphone-addled encephalon included nan incorrect wave and URL. Listen astatine 91.5 FM and watercourse astatine classicalcalifornia.org

Artist Francis Bacon astatine nan Tate Gallery successful London successful an undated record photo.

(Associated Press)

Francis Bacon: Paintings: The Complete Collection
“Bacon jolts america into remembering that we are animals,” wrote Times creation professional William Wilson connected nan juncture of a 1990 retrospective of nan British painter’s activity astatine LACMA. “There isn’t a dime’s worthy of quality betwixt nan canine he painted aft 1 Muybridge photograph and nan paralytic kid he took from another, stepping connected each fours for illustration his relative simians. All beasts are taxable to abrupt and convulsive extinction astatine nan hands of different beasts. When he paints 2 nude men embracing successful a field, they are for illustration creatures successful a zoo. You can’t show if they are copulating aliases sidesplitting each other. Maybe both.” You tin now ain Bacon’s full menagerie of despair pinch this handsome measurement featuring much than 700 high-quality reproductions of his work, interspersed pinch quotes from nan artist, his friends, critics and admirers, including Lucian Freud, Roald Dahl and Damien Hirst. Heni Publishing: 568 pp. $55.

Milan’s Casa Verdi, a status location for musicians depicted successful “Viva Verdi!”

(Viva Verdi! LLC)

Viva Verdi!
Yvonne Russo’s life-affirming documentary astir a status location for musicians and opera singers successful Italy managed to snag an Academy Award information for original opus pinch nan aria “Sweet Dreams of Joy,” sung by soprano Ana María Martínez and composed by Nicholas Pike.
10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7 p.m. Monday. Laemmle Glendale, 207 N. Maryland Ave.; Laemmle Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino; Laemmle Monica Film Center, 1332 2nd St. laemmle.com

— Kevin Crust

Culture news and nan SoCal scene

L.A. creator Lauren Halsey astatine her monumental sculpture park, “sister dreamer.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

I highly urge you caput to nan artifact statement tomorrow successful ceremony of nan opening of Lauren Halsey’s monumental sculpture parkland successful South-Central L.A. The project, which doubles arsenic a organization halfway programmed by Halsey’s nonprofit, has been connected Halsey’s to-do database for astir 20 years. Freelancer Jane Horowitz precocious sat down pinch Halsey on-site to talk astir nan realization of her long-held dream and really she hopes it will resonate pinch nan organization it serves.

Bodytraffic creation troupe will cease operations aft 20 years.

(Kevin Parry)

Sad news successful nan L.A. creation world arsenic Bodytraffic announces it will adjacent aft 20 years. Steven Vargas gets nan scoop connected nan imminent shuttering of nan vibrant modern creation company, and why its laminitis — contempt heavy sadness complete nan determination — has concluded it’s clip to commencement a caller chapter.

The Whitney Biennial is presently being staged successful New York City and 1 successful six participants has lived aliases worked successful L.A. successful nan past fewer years. Freelancer Grant Klarich Johnson sat down pinch 4 L.A. artists, astir of whom person been profoundly affected by past year’s wildfires. The trauma has informed their creator practices successful a assortment of ways.

L.A.’s triumph is D.C.’s nonaccomplishment arsenic Jean Davidson, executive head of nan National Symphony Orchestra at nan Kennedy Center, announces she will time off that position to go nan executive head and main executive of nan Wallis Annenberg Center for nan Performing Arts. Davidson will presume her caller position May 4. The Kennedy Center is group to adjacent for renovations connected July 4, but Davidson said nan NSO has secured alternate capacity venues for its existent and early seasons.

Actor Timothée Chalamet generated a ton of anger and angst erstwhile he said that “nobody cares” astir ballet aliases opera. Here’s really I consciousness astir that.

Classical euphony professional Mark Swed caught a capacity of nan Philip Glass opera “Akhnaten” astatine LA Opera, singling retired nan “magnificent” countertenor, John Holiday, successful nan title role. “Although he tin beryllium a popularly gregarious crossover performer, present he suggests a ruler of profound, unflappable dignity, alternatively than vulnerability. His hymn to Aten is an workout successful majesty, an ode not conscionable to nan sun but to nan expanses successful which our star strategy circulates,” Swed writes.

A marionette dances astatine nan monthly “almighty Opp” puppet show connected Western Avenue and Elmwood Avenue successful Koreatown connected Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, successful Los Angeles.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

“An creator known arsenic Jeffrey’s Human Persona has remained anonymous for astir 25 years — nan aforesaid magnitude of clip that he has staged guerrilla-style philharmonic puppet shows titled “almighty Opp” connected a gritty thoroughfare area successful Koreatown connected nan past Saturday of each month,” I wrote successful a communicative astir nan man down nan story and what drives him to shape his beloved “services.”

Olafur Eliasson’s monumental kaleidoscopes person been installed successful nan Geffen Contemporary astatine MOCA. Visitors measurement into mirrored towers and look up to spot worlds unfold earlier their eyes.

(Craig Nakano / Los Angeles Times)

Five awesome L.A. museums and galleries person announced their associated committedness to environmentally sustainable practices. The Getty, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, nan Hammer and Hauser & Wirth this week issued a corporate connection astir their volition to instrumentality nan Bizot Green Protocol — a group of recommendations that laic retired a climate-conscious attack for nan attraction of creation collections. Museums and galleries person agelong struggled pinch a reliance connected power for dealing pinch issues of ambiance power and humidity successful spaces containing highly delicate creation materials; different practices that person an effect connected nan situation see nan carrier of creation via aerial recreation arsenic good arsenic managing wide accumulation waste.

In a statement, nan participating institutions wrote, “Though not a nonstop cause, ambiance alteration was an exacerbating facet successful nan size and devastation of nan caller Los Angeles-area fires, which took a toll connected our taste institutions, galleries and artists. Increasingly, nan taste assemblage is being shaped by and is responding to ambiance alteration arsenic portion of fulfilling our ngo of caring for and exhibiting our shared taste heritage. It is captious that our assemblage return action to some trim our biology effect and amended our resilience, truthful that we tin proceed to fulfill this mission.”

“This is nan first clip that Los Angeles creation institutions person announced together their committedness to these recommendations, and it is our dream that it will motivate others to perpetrate arsenic well,” said Camille Kirk, sustainability head astatine Getty, said successful a news merchandise astir nan initiative.

— Jessica Gelt

And past but not least

St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday (Howwwww?) and nan Times’ Food squad has rounded up a useful database of Irish pubs for each your celebratory corned-beef and Guinness needs.