Artist Daniel González displayed a linocut rendering of Central Library, a piece of his work “Luceros y Penumbras,” part of the world’s largest pop-up book. (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library)

The Library Foundation of Los Angeles, in partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library, will premiere “Luceros y Penumbras: The World’s Largest Pop-Up Book” on July 11 in the rotunda of the Richard J. Riordan Central Library.

The exhibition is a centerpiece of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Central Library building. The opening date of “Luceros y Penumbras” coincides with the Central Library’s July 11 Centennial Festival. The all-ages event includes music, workshops, author talks, community booths, giveaways and six “Central 100”-themed exhibitions.

At the heart of the “Luceros y Penumbras” exhibition, on view through mid-November, is a newly commissioned, towering work by Los Angeles-based artist and printmaker Daniel González. An ambitious feat of scale and storytelling, it was engineered to surpass the current world record for the largest pop-up book with a footprint of roughly 18-by-29 feet when open.

The work’s title, “Luceros y Penumbras” (“Starlight and Shadows,” loosely translated), refers to the 1926 building’s “light of learning” architectural theme. González reinterprets the idea through a personal, contemporary lens, exploring the tension between knowledge and uncertainty in the modern world while tracing his own journey – from his upbringing in Boyle Heights and formative summer experiences farming with his grandparents in rural Mexico, to his teenage years finding inspiration in the Central Library.

“Luceros y Penumbras” unfolds across two enormous pop-up spreads that will be displayed one at a time and turned weekly. One spread presents the library’s south façade emerging from the same night sky that animated his grandmother’s stories. The building’s walls are embedded with images depicting scenes of the library’s history as well as González’s own history with the library, from his first library card to exploring his heritage.

The other spread centers on a richly imagined “Tree of Wisdom,” representing Los Angeles’s cultural knowledge – including that of the indigenous Tongva/Kizh – flanked by two skylines that have shaped González’s life: downtown Los Angeles and his parents’ hometown of El Teúl, Mexico. The natural world is represented through a visual language of intricate roots, branches and guiding animal and iconographic figures.

“I visited Central Library on a school field trip shortly after its reopening in 1993, and it quickly became an important part of my life as a young person. Through its books and resources, I gained a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me,” González said. “The library feeds my curiosity, has informed my work and continues to be a source of wonder. I’m excited to be able to share my journey and reflections on the Light of Learning through this artwork.”

Complementing the central installation is a display of items from the library’s rarely exhibited Toy Movable Collection, an archive of more than 2,000 intricate pop-up and interactive books. A series of free public programs including story times and paper engineering workshops are presented in conjunction with the exhibition.

“At a monumental scale, ‘Luceros y Penumbras’ presents a rich story illustrating how the library helped empower Daniel to find his voice as an artist deeply rooted in his community and culture,” said Todd Lerew, curator of the exhibition and LFLA special projects director. “We hope this striking and thoughtful artwork, presented in the irresistible format of a giant pop-up book, inspires visitors to reflect on the library’s role in their own journey of discovery.”

The Central Library is located at 630 W. Fifth St. For information, visit lapl.org/branches/central-library.