Inside the Build of The Art of Banksy Pop-Up in San Diego

As one of the most anticipated art events of the season prepares to open at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, The Art of Banksy pop-up exhibition is coming to life through an intensive and carefully coordinated construction process. While audiences will soon encounter a fully realized, museum-quality experience, the transformation underway behind the scenes is a story of precision, planning, and creative restraint.

The exhibit opens to the public on January 30 and runs through April 19. You may find ticket and parking information on the Del Mar Fairgrounds website.

Leading the buildout is Justin Rezvanipour, founder and CEO of Maison Construction, a San Diego-based firm specializing in high-impact, design-forward construction projects. Rezvanipour, a graduate of the USC Marshall School of Business and a longtime real estate investor, has built his company at the intersection of construction, design, and storytelling. That multidisciplinary approach is now shaping one of the most talked-about exhibitions to arrive in Southern California this year.

Transforming a vast, open venue into a museum-quality exhibition space requires far more than erecting walls and installing lights. Rezvanipour describes the process as building a temporary museum from the ground up, where every element must support the artwork and guide the visitor experience, despite the structure’s temporary nature.

“Transforming a large open venue into a museum-quality exhibition starts with precision and planning,” Rezvanipour says. “You are essentially building a temporary museum from scratch, including walls, lighting, circulation, and climate considerations. Every detail has to support the artwork, control how people move through the space, and feel intentional, even though it is all temporary.”

That emphasis on intention becomes especially critical given the compressed timelines associated with pop-up exhibitions. Unlike permanent museums, temporary installations demand rapid execution while maintaining high production standards. From the earliest layout and engineering decisions to the final finishes, each phase must align seamlessly with the next.

“The timeline is compressed and highly coordinated,” Rezvanipour explains. “It usually starts with layout and engineering, followed by framing, electrical, lighting, and finishes, all moving in tight sequence. The most critical stages are layout accuracy and lighting installation, because once those are set, everything else depends on them being right.”

Lighting, in particular, plays a central role in shaping how audiences engage with the exhibition. For an artist as globally recognized as Banksy, the environment must elevate the work without detracting from it. That balance requires careful restraint, ensuring that construction and design elements enhance the narrative rather than compete with it.

“Building for a globally recognized artist adds a level of responsibility and scrutiny,” Rezvanipour says. “The environment has to elevate the work without competing with it. Unlike traditional commercial projects, the focus is less on function alone and more on emotion, flow, and how the space enhances the narrative of the art.”

San Diego’s growing reputation as a destination for immersive art and cultural activations has made it an ideal host city for exhibitions of this scale. With its large, flexible venues, strong tourism economy, and audiences eager for experiential culture, the region continues to attract high-profile temporary installations that blend accessibility with sophistication.

“San Diego offers a unique combination of large flexible venues, strong tourism, and an audience that is open to experiential culture,” Rezvanipour notes. “There is a growing appetite for immersive experiences that feel accessible but still high caliber.”

For Rezvanipour, projects like The Art of Banksy reflect a broader philosophy that guides Maison Construction’s work. Drawing on his background in real estate investment, business strategy, design, and storytelling, he approaches each build as a journey. Operational efficiency and feasibility are balanced with emotional impact, ensuring that visitors experience the space as a cohesive narrative rather than a series of disconnected rooms.

“My background allows me to think beyond construction and focus on experience,” he says. “Real estate and business inform how the project functions and stays efficient, while design and storytelling shape how people feel as they move through the space. I approach each build as a journey, not just a structure, where every decision supports how the audience experiences the work.”

As opening day approaches, much of Maison Construction’s work will remain invisible to visitors, embedded quietly within the walls, lighting, and pathways that frame the exhibition. Yet it is precisely that unseen craftsmanship that allows the art to take center stage. When the doors open at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, audiences will encounter not only the work of one of the world’s most influential artists but also the result of a carefully orchestrated collaboration between art, space, and construction.