It's a new chapter for Dia Chelsea. After a two-year renovation and expansion, the Dia Art Foundation finally reopened its doors on 22nd Street to the public, unveiling its new three-building, 20,000-square-feet space with integrated street-level galleries for exhibitions, a new flexible space for public and educational programs, and Dia’s beloved bookstore.
Its very first exhibition back features newly commissioned works by Lucy Raven, who presents Casters X-2 + Casters X-3 (2021), an installation of kinetic light sculptures that belongs to her ongoing Casters series (2016– ); and Ready Mix (2021) an immersive installation featuring a 45-minute film shot over two years at a concrete plant in central Idaho. Both projects explore the formation, depiction, and surveillance of landscapes and civic spaces, proposing abstraction as a tool for (re)perceiving these sites, Dia says.
"Dia has long been distinguished by its artist-centric approach, which has enabled the realization of complex projects that would have otherwise been impossible to create due to their scale and duration. Raven’s inaugural commission for Dia Chelsea embodies our commitment to this ideal," said Jessica Morgan, Dia’s Nathalie de Gunzburg director. "I am delighted to activate the galleries with Raven's commission and to finally provide a permanent home for Dia in this neighborhood so we can continue to expand the role we play in local and international arts ecologies."
Dia moved to Chelsea in 1987, moving from its location in Soho (where it was since 1974), triggering an influx of galleries, according to the New York Times. When it opened Dia Beacon upstate in 2003, it moved most operations there, leaving Chelsea with less.
Looking forward, Dia plans on launching Dia Soho, a 2,500-square-foot exhibition space at 77 Wooster Street.
Now that Dia Chelsea is open, it is offering free admission across all its locations. Timed tickets are available now. The bookshop is open Wednesday–Saturday for purchases from 12–6pm. It is also free to enter.