Former Barney's Department Store to Become Art House Hybrid Space in New York

The historic Barney's department store on Madison Avenue in New York, which filed for bankruptcy in August 2019 and closed in early 2020, will be transformed into a new contemporary art space called Art House. The project is led by Michael Plummer, Jeff Rabin of New York consultancy Artvest, and Geoff Fox of Touchstone Event Management—the same trio that brought TEFAF to New York. The space, redesigned by Kulapat Yantrasast, creative director of wHY architecture, will feature modular and flexible solutions across eight floors. The lower two floors will host events during fair seasons, while upper floors will be rented to local galleries on short- or long-term contracts. Art House aims to offer a new art sales format beyond traditional galleries and as an alternative to major international fairs still constrained by the pandemic. It will host about 60 galleries (names not yet announced), along with exhibitions, fairs, events, conferences, and meetings, complemented by an online platform. The launch is set for November 4, 2021, with Art House New York Fall, followed by a spring edition in May 2022. Rental rates will be comparable to office leases and in line with major art fairs. Plummer described Art House as a hybrid reality, while Rabin noted that galleries need new solutions to reach clients, as online activity has not compensated for the loss of physical fairs.