‘Solar’ gift from a star

Leonardo DiCaprio will donate a large-scale installation by artist John Gerrard to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the museum said.

“Solar Reserve (Tonopah, Nevada)” is a digital simulation of a solar power tower planned for the desert outside Las Vegas. The artwork was on view outdoors at Lincoln Center in New York last year; it is scheduled to be on view this month at Art Basel in Switzerland.

LACMA Director Michael Govan said DiCaprio’s foundation is acquiring the piece through a gallery, and the transaction is expected to close within weeks. He offered no timetable for the work to be shown at the museum.

DiCaprio “saw the work and thought it was fantastic and then thought of us,” Govan said in an interview. “He has been an incredible friend to the museum.”

The actor said in a statement: “Whether it is through art or other venues, we must work to promote a healthy and sustainable future for our planet and I hope to continue to bring additional exhibits to Los Angeles and beyond that promote this message.” Gerrard’s website says that the art piece “simulates the actual movements of the sun, moon, and stars across the sky, as they would appear at the Nevada site, with the thousands of mirrors adjusting their positions in real time according to the position of the sun.”