25 Years

next section

Looking Forward

In the last five years, the gallery's presence has evolved to reach beyond its physical spaces and exhibition programming, exploring new avenues in publishing and philanthropy, while also expanding into both digital and international landscapes.

Led by Lucas Zwirner, David's son, David Zwirner Books was established in 2014 as a stand-alone publishing house with international distribution to produce catalogues, monographs, historical surveys, artists' books, and catalogues raisonnés.

Beginning in 2001, when David Zwirner asked artists to donate works to an exhibition to benefit victims of the World Trade Center attacks, the gallery has organized regular charity auctions and exhibitions, from Artists for Haiti in 2011 to the ACRIA Unframed Auction supporting HIV/AIDS research in 2014 and 2017’s Thread benefit for a community center and artist residency established by The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Senegal. The Thread auction was the first charitable Viewing Room on davidzwirner.com. Launched in early 2017, the Viewing Room is a curated space to view artworks online.

In 2017, David Zwirner opened a third gallery in New York in a town house at 34 East 69th Street. The uptown space was designed by Annabelle Selldorf and is dedicated to historical exhibitions and special projects. The inaugural show, featuring rarely seen works by Josef and Anni Albers, Ruth Asawa, and Ray Johnson, explored the influence of Black Mountain College, a unique experiment in arts education where these artists met in the late 1940s. In 2018, David Zwirner’s first outpost in Asia, in the new H Queen’s building in Hong Kong's Central district, was also overseen by Selldorf. On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary, The New York Times announced an expansive new gallery on West 21st Street will be designed by Renzo Piano.

Interior view of David Zwirner Books Pop-Up Bookstore at 535 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Interior view of David Zwirner Books Pop-Up Bookstore, 535 West 20th Street, New York, 2016

Interior spread of Giorgio Morandi: Late Paintings, published by David Zwirner Books, dated 2017.

Giorgio Morandi: Late Paintings, published by David Zwirner Books, 2017

An animated gif of Anni Albers: Notebook 1970–1980, published by David Zwirner Books, dated 2017.

Anni Albers: Notebook 1970–1980, published by David Zwirner Books, 2017. The original notebook is included in the exhibition Anni Albers: Touching Vision at The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

David Leiber, Partner, and Lucas Zwirner, Editorial Director of David Zwirner Books "art handling" at The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Connecticut during production for Anni Albers: Notebook 1970–1980, dated 2016.

David Leiber, Partner, and Lucas Zwirner, Editorial Director of David Zwirner Books "art handling" at The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Connecticut during production for Anni Albers: Notebook 1970–1980, 2016

Mamma Andersson and Jockum Nordström signing copies of Who is sleeping on my pillow: Mamma Andersson & Jockum Nordström at the London gallery, dated 2014.

Mamma Andersson and Jockum Nordström signing copies of Who is sleeping on my pillow: Mamma Andersson & Jockum Nordström at the London gallery, 2014. Reprinted by David Zwirner Books in 2014, the book was originally published on the occasion of the artists' concurrent solo shows at David Zwirner, New York, in 2010.

Marcel Dzama and Raymond Pettibon at a joint book signing inside the exhibition Raymond Pettibon: To Wit at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2013.

Marcel Dzama and Raymond Pettibon at a joint book signing inside the exhibition Raymond Pettibon: To Wit, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2013

William Eggleston charming a visitor during his book signing at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2016.

William Eggleston charming a visitor during his book signing at 24 Grafton Street, London, 2016

Interior spread of William Eggleston: The Democratic Forest, Selected Works, published by David Zwirner Books | Steidl, dated 2016.

William Eggleston: The Democratic Forest, Selected Works, published by David Zwirner Books | Steidl, 2016

Visitors lining up for the William Eggleston book signing at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2016.

Visitors lining up for the William Eggleston book signing, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2016

Interior spread of Christopher Williams: The Production Line of Happiness, published by Art Institute of Chicago / The Museum of Modern Art / Whitechapel Gallery, dated 2015.

Christopher Williams: The Production Line of Happiness, published by Art Institute of Chicago / The Museum of Modern Art / Whitechapel Gallery, 2015

Front cover of Donald Judd Writings, published by David Zwirner Books, dated 2016.

Donald Judd Writings, published by David Zwirner Books, 2016

David Zwirner and Ben Stiller with children in Haiti, dated 2011.

Photo by Randall Slavin

In early 2011, David Zwirner and Ben Stiller joined efforts to organize the charity auction and exhibition Artists for Haiti, following the devastation of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The auction of twenty-six artworks took place at Christie’s, New York, on September 22, 2011, and raised over $13 million, with one hundred percent of the proceeds funding education and health programs for children in Haiti.

Bill Clinton and Marlene Dumas at the dinner celebrating the charity auction and exhibition Artists for Haiti in New York, dated 2011.

Bill Clinton and Marlene Dumas at the dinner celebrating the charity auction and exhibition Artists for Haiti, New York, 2011

David Zwirner, Raymond Pettibon, and Ben Stiller in front of Pettibon's painting, No Title (From life to . .  . ) (dated 2011), at the opening of Artists for Haiti at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2011.

David Zwirner, Raymond Pettibon, and Ben Stiller in front of Pettibon's No Title (From life to . .  . ) (2011) at the opening of Artists for Haiti, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2011

Interior view of the special performance organized inside of Richard Serra’s sculpture, Equal (dated 2015), to benefit the charity House with Heart at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Interior view of the special performance organized inside of Richard Serra’s Equal (2015) to benefit the charity House with Heart, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2015. The sculpture, comprising four pairs of stacked 40-ton steel blocks, was acquired by The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

 

Tim Fain, Philip Glass, and Richard Serra at the special performance organized inside of Serra's sculpture, Equal (dated 2015), to benefit the charity House with Heart at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Tim Fain, Philip Glass, and Richard Serra at the special performance organized inside of Serra's Equal (2015) to benefit the charity House with Heart, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2015. Friends since the 1960s—when Glass was one of Serra's studio assistants—they have also been longtime collaborators pairing music and sculpture.

Philip Glass during his special performance organized inside of Richard Serra's sculpture, Equal (2015), to benefit the charity House with Heart at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Philip Glass during his special performance organized inside of Richard Serra's Equal (2015) to benefit the charity House with Heart, an organization for women and abandoned children in Nepal that needed funds to rebuild their facilities following the 2015 earthquake, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2015
 

Partner Kristine Bell with her son's class inside Richard Serra's sculpture, Equal, at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Partner Kristine Bell with her son's class inside Richard Serra: Equal, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2015

A special performance reenacting choreography from Marcel Dzama's video Death Dance Disco (dated 2011), organized on the occasion of the artist's exhibition at the New York Art Book Fair at MoMA PS1 in New York, dated 2015.

Special performance reenacting choreography from Marcel Dzama's video Death Dance Disco (2011), organized on the occasion of the artist's exhibition at the New York Art Book Fair, MoMA PS1, New York, 2015

Oscar Murillo and Yutaka Sone installing Room Services, a multi-day drawing and printing performance done in collaboration with Mandy El-Sayegh, at the New York Art Book Fair at MoMA PS1 in New York, dated 2016.

Oscar Murillo and Yutaka Sone installing Room Services, a multi-day drawing and printing performance done in collaboration with Mandy El-Sayegh, at the New York Art Book Fair, MoMA PS1, New York, 2016

An iPhone announcing the February 2017 launch of the Viewing Room, a curated space to view artworks online.

Launched in February 2017, the Viewing Room is a curated space to view artworks online. Chosen by gallery artists and staff, the collection changes regularly.

Installation view of 65 Works Selected by James Welling: Exhibition and Sale to Benefit the Foundation for Contemporary Arts at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Installation view, 65 Works Selected by James Welling: Exhibition and Sale to Benefit the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2016

Installation view of The Friends Seminary Auction at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Installation view, The Friends Seminary Auction, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2015

Isiah "Izzy" Tamar reading his poetry at the David Zwirner Books Pop-Up Bookstore at 535 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2017.

Isiah "Izzy" Tamar reading his poetry at the David Zwirner Books Pop-Up Bookstore, 535 West 20th Street, New York, 2017. Tamar was the winner of the first annual student literary prize awarded by David Zwirner Books and 826NYC, a literacy nonprofit that the gallery began supporting in 2006. Winners of the prize participate in a summer publishing program that includes work on a writing portfolio.

Installation view of Thread Benefit Exhibition at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2017.

Installation view, Thread Benefit Exhibition, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2017. Proceeds benefited the Senegal-based nonprofit, an artist residency program and community center founded in 2015 by The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation

View of Thread, the artist residency program and community center in Senegal founded by The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation.

Photo: Iwan Baan

View of Thread, the artist residency program and community center in Senegal founded by The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation
 

Exterior view of 34 East 69th Street in New York, dated 2017.

Photo: Jason Schmidt

Exterior view of 34 East 69th Street, New York, 2017. Architectural Digest reported, "Selldorf’s latest project for Zwirner is a stately 1907 townhouse, which opened just last week right off of Madison Avenue. 'At a gallery, form follows function,' says Zwirner. 'The important thing is that the art must look as good as it possibly can, and that's what Annabelle excels at. Her understanding of light and space is unique, and that has always been the case.'"

Installation view of Josef and Anni and Ruth and Ray at 34 East 69th Street, in New York, dated 2017.

Installation view, Josef and Anni and Ruth and Ray, 34 East 69th Street, 2017

Installation view of Josef and Anni and Ruth and Ray at 34 East 69th Street in New York, dated 2017.

Installation view, Josef and Anni and Ruth and Ray, 34 East 69th Street, New York, 2017

Exterior view of H Queen's in Hong Kong.

Exterior view of H Queen's, Hong Kong

A detail from a painting by Michaël Borremans titled Fire from the Sun, dated 2017.

Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, the inaugural exhibition at the Hong Kong gallery, is on view January 27—March 10, 2018.

Hong Kong gallery Director Leo Xu, dated 2017.
Hong Kong gallery Director Leo Xu, 2017
Art Handler Joel Fennell, Monica Zwirner, Annabelle Selldorf, and Lucas Zwirner at the opening of the exhibition, Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, at H Queen's in Hong Kong, dated 2018.

Art Handler Joel Fennell, Monica Zwirner, Annabelle Selldorf, and Lucas Zwirner at the opening of Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, H Queen's, Hong Kong, 2018. Photo by Pal Wong

Michaël Borremans, Hanna Schouwink, and Kaat De Jonghe at the opening of the exhibition, Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, at H Queen's in Hong Kong, dated 2018.

Michaël Borremans, Hanna Schouwink, and Kaat De Jonghe at the opening of Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, H Queen's, Hong Kong, 2018. Photo by Pal Wong

Guests at the opening of the exhibition, Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, at H Queen's in Hong Kong, dated 2018.

Guests at the opening of Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, H Queen's, Hong Kong, 2018. Photo by Stephen Lee

Exterior view of H Queen's in Hong Kong.

Exterior view of H Queen's, Hong Kong. Photo by Stephen Lee

Flowers at the opening of the exhibition, Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, at H Queen's in Hong Kong, dated 2018.

Flowers at the opening of Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, H Queen's, Hong Kong, 2018. Photo by Kitmin Lee

Gallery artists, directors, and friends at the opening of the exhibition, Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, at H Queen's in Hong Kong, dated 2018.

Gallery artists, directors, and friends at the opening of Michaël Borremans: Fire from the Sun, H Queen's, Hong Kong, 2018. Photo by Kitmin Lee

An on-air sign in Studio D at Slate Media Studios for Dialogues: The David Zwirner Podcast, dated 2018.
Jeff Koons, Lucas Zwirner, and Luke Syson in Studio D at Slate Media studios in New York, dated 2018.
Jeff Koons, Lucas Zwirner, and Luke Syson in Studio D at Slate Media studios, New York, 2018.

Debuting in June 2018 and produced in partnership with Slate Studios, Dialogues: The David Zwirner Podcast is the latest installment in a series of initiatives celebrating the gallery’s twenty-fifth anniversary. In each episode of Dialogues, the gallery brings together two extraordinary artists or cultural leaders for an open-ended conversation about art, culture, and the creative process. Featuring leading figures in the worlds of art, architecture, film, music, and beyond—from Jeff Koons to Lisa Yuskavage, Russell Tovey to Jason Moran—each unique pairing of the podcast explores how art shapes, elevates, and shifts our point of view.