Dia Art Foundation Plans New Chelsea Space Under Philippe Vergne

The Dia Art Foundation, under director Philippe Vergne since 2008, has announced the construction of a new exhibition building in Chelsea, New York, directly across from its former 22nd Street gallery on a site previously occupied by Pace Gallery. This marks a pivotal moment for the institution, which closed its Chelsea space in 2004 after opening Dia:Beacon in 2003. The foundation, founded in 1974 by German dealer Heiner Friedrich and Philippa de Menil, is known for supporting large-scale in situ projects like Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty (Utah, 1970) and Walter De Maria's Lightning Field (New Mexico, 1977) and The New York Earth Room (1977) and The Broken Kilometer (1979) in Manhattan. Vergne, former deputy director of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, aims to revitalize Dia's New York presence as a flexible incubator for living artists, thinkers, and choreographers, distinct from a traditional museum. He emphasizes maintaining Dia's permanent sites while fostering new engagements. The foundation currently has a temporary partnership with the Hispanic Society of America, hosting installations by Francis Alÿs, Zoe Leonard, and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. Vergne stresses the need for diversified funding, moving from reliance on individual patrons to multiple donors. The new space is intended to complement Dia:Beacon and serve as a laboratory for contemporary art and ideas.