It seems as though we are entering a new era in Art. The Whitney has moved downtown, and the Metropolitan Museum is entering a new space Uptown, and venturing into the world of contemporary art. Currently the “space” that the art world holds is shifting, and part of that new shift is the Dia Art Foundation at Beacon, New York.
On the banks of the Hudson River, just 80 minutes outside of the city, the Dia:Beacon opened in 2013, consummating a new upstate landmark. Just as Williamsburg’s waterfront hosts the Domino Sugar Factory (which was reimagined as a temporary gallery space), Beacon’s waterfront hosts this museum, which occupies an old Nabisco Factory that dates back to 1929. This brick, steel and concrete building has been given new life as the 300,000 square foot gallery where exhibits flow into one another seamlessly. Patrons are able to curate their experience while walking through the seemingly undefined factory space. The museums design itself comments on how art (and artists) define space.
Visitors typically enter through Robert Irwin’s Excursus: Homage to the Square³, an exhibition that sets the tone for the museum as a whole (Irwin helped conceptualized the layout of the museum space). Patrons are encouraged to weave in and out of Irwin’s piece, often making it unclear where to direct your attention. Every way you look, the space is defined differently. The scrim and neon light instillation heightens your awareness of space, how you see it all depends the angle in which you view it.
Other artists that gained notoriety during the 1970s are on long term view at the Dia:Beacon, many of whom encourage viewers to change our awareness of space. Dan Flavin, Fred Sandback, Michael Heizer, and Louise Bourgeois are of note. Flavin’s neon sculptures “monuments” for V. Tatlin (1964–90) allow “electric light” to play with the way we view space. Heizer has created “North, East, South, West”, geometric pits of negative space “made literally of nothing”. Fred Sandback has created sculptures that are merely string outlines of shapes, encouraging the viewer to “fill in” the blanks of space using their imagination. Upstairs in the Dia:Beacon’s intimate attic space, is one of Louise Bourgeois’ massive spiders. She proclaims, “Space does not exist. It is just a metaphor for the structure of our existence”. In all of these pieces, the volume that traditionally defines a sculpture is quite different than anything we would normally see.
Dia:Beacon is ahead of the curve in its presence outside of New York City, with a host of the most innovative artists. While other institutions are either building new space or retranslating previously defined space within the city limits, Dia:Beacon has pushed boundaries.
Click here for more information on visiting the museum, or check out the Dia:Chelsea branch in New York City. .
Like this article? Check out Chloe Wise’s current show at Retrospective gallery in upstate New York, or other shows currently on view.
