25 Years

Expanding to Chelsea and London SoHo and the Early Years

SoHo and the Early Years

In February 1993, David Zwirner opened his eponymous gallery on the ground floor of 43 Greene Street with a solo exhibition of work by Franz West; the catalogue for the inaugural show listed David's home address, as at time of printing, he wasn’t sure where the gallery was going to be located.

The building was in the heart of SoHo, just down the street from the legendary number 112, the address of one of the city’s first artist-run venues in the 1970s where future gallery artists Gordon Matta-Clark and Richard Serra made some of their earliest work. The Greene Street space was designed by Annabelle Selldorf—the first of many projects for the gallery; a Bloomberg article describes the long-running collaboration between gallerist and architect: "They’re both from Cologne, but they met, Zwirner says, when he was 15 and studying in New York for a year, and she was 18 and starting at Pratt. In 1993, when he opened his first gallery, a 1,600-square-foot space on Greene Street in SoHo, 'her firm was a two-man show at that point, and I was a one-man show.'"

David Zwirner's program launched with radical, experimental shows by emerging artists such as Stan Douglas, Jason Rhoades, and Diana Thater, all of whom had solo exhibitions at the gallery in its inaugural year and are still part of the roster today. "Zwirner began his gallery with some very risky artists, commercially," Randy Kennedy observed. "One early show involved Paul McCarthy, who was still mostly a West Coast cult phenomenon. He also discovered, through McCarthy, Jason Rhoades, whose equally difficult work Zwirner embraced perhaps as only a more rarefied European gallerist could in the early 1990s." The founding team—many of whom have remained with the gallery, including Angela Choon and Hanna Schouwink—wore many hats, serving as front desk assistants and security, doubling as scale models and registrars, while working with artists and clients alike.

A photograph of David Zwirner, Hanna Schouwink, and Angela Choon at the front desk of 43 Greene Street in New York, circa 1997.

David Zwirner, Hanna Schouwink, and Angela Choon at the front desk of 43 Greene Street, New York, c. 1997

Front and back of showcard for David Zwirner's first exhibition, Franz West: Investigations of American Art, which opened in February 1993 at 43 Greene Street in New York.

Front and back of showcard for David Zwirner's first exhibition, Franz West: Investigations of American Art, which opened in February 1993 at 43 Greene Street, New York

Installation view of the exhibition Franz West: Investigations of American Art at David Zwirner in New York, dated 1993.

Installation view, Franz West: Investigations of American Art, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1993

"[Zwirner] went into the business in a space on Greene Street in SoHo that was, by today's standards, little more than a coat closet. 'The front desk was David's desk back then,' remembered Diana Thater."

The New York Times

David Zwirner with his children, Scott Portnoy, and Hanna Schouwink in Franz West's installation Kasseler Rippchen (dated 1996), on view in the exhibition Franz West: New Sculptures and Installations at 43 Greene Street in New York.

David Zwirner with his children, Scott Portnoy (far left), and Hanna Schouwink in Franz West's Kasseler Rippchen (1996), on view in Franz West: New Sculptures and Installations, 43 Greene Street, New York

Fax from Franz West to David Zwirner arranging a Bowery Bar meeting, dated 1995.

Fax from Franz West to David Zwirner arranging a Bowery Bar meeting, 1995

Gallery staff dressing up as David Zwirner for Halloween, circa 2002.

Gallery staff dressing up as David Zwirner (fourth from left) for Halloween, circa 2002. Pictured here are Senior Partners Bellatrix Hubert (left), who joined in 1999, Hanna Schouwink (second from left), and Angela Choon (third from right).

Gallery staff at a holiday dinner, circa 2000.

Gallery staff at a holiday dinner, circa 2000. Pictured here are Senior Partners Bellatrix Hubert (far left), Hanna Schouwink (fifth from left), Angela Choon (third from left), along with Monica Zwirner (second from right) and David Zwirner

An out-of-office sign on the front door during a gallery trip to Las Vegas, circa 1999.

Out-of-office sign on the front door during a gallery trip to Las Vegas, circa 1999

"Zwirner’s program was fairly radical and rigorous, with a roster of under-recognized, experimental artists . . . His gallery was a lean operation, with an emphasis on work from Europe and the West Coast. He and Monica lived nearby. Sometimes he skateboarded to work."

The New Yorker

Flyer for the exhibition COMING TO POWER: 25 Years of Sexually X-Plicit Art by Women at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1993.

Flyer for COMING TO POWER: 25 Years of Sexually X-Plicit Art by Women, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1993. Curated by Ellen Cantor, this group exhibition brought together works by women artists, among them Louise Bourgeois, Marilyn Minter, Alice Neel, Carolee Schneemann, Cindy Sherman, Nancy Spero, and Hannah Wilke.

Installation view of the exhibition COMING TO POWER: 25 Years of Sexually X-Plicit Art by Women at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1993.

Installation view, COMING TO POWER: 25 Years of Sexually X-Plicit Art by Women, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1993. Pictured here, from left to right, is a painting by Joan Semmel and photographic works by Patricia Cronin, Nan Goldin, and Lorraine O’Grady.

David Zwirner with Jason Rhoades at the artist's first gallery solo show, Jason Rhoades: CHERRY Makita – Honest Engine Work at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1993.

David Zwirner with Jason Rhoades at the artist's first gallery solo show, Jason Rhoades: CHERRY Makita – Honest Engine Work, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1993

Angela Choon looking tentative in Jason Rhoades's installation Spaceball (1997), on view in the exhibition Jason Rhoades: Deviations in Space, VARIOUSVIRGINS at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1997.

Angela Choon looking tentative in Jason Rhoades's Spaceball (1997), on view in Jason Rhoades: Deviations in Space, VARIOUSVIRGINS, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1997

Hanna Schouwink taking a moment in Jason Rhoades’s installation Cheese (1999), on view in the exhibition Jason Rhoades and Paul McCarthy: Propposition at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1999.

Hanna Schouwink taking a moment in Jason Rhoades’s Cheese (1999), on view in Jason Rhoades and Paul McCarthy: Propposition, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1999

Franz West and David Zwirner working on the sculpture Limerick (1994) for the exhibition Franz West: Home Elements (A Retrospective) at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1994.

Franz West and David Zwirner working on Limerick (1994) for Franz West: Home Elements (A Retrospective), 43 Greene Street, New York, 1994

Installation view of the exhibition Diana Thater: Late & Soon (Occident Trotting) at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1993.

Installation view, Diana Thater: Late & Soon (Occident Trotting), 43 Greene Street, New York, 1993

Internal Exterior view of 43 Greene Street in New York, during the exhibition Diana Thater: Late & Soon (Occident Trotting), dated 1993.

Exterior view of 43 Greene Street, New York, during Diana Thater: Late & Soon (Occident Trotting), 1993

The official portrait of Diana Thater for the Whitney Biennial, dated 1996.

Official portrait of Diana Thater for the Whitney Biennial, 1996. Thater was among the first artists to be part of the gallery's original roster, joining in 1993.

Installation view of the exhibition SAMPLER – Southern California Video Collection 1970 to 1993 at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1993.

Installation view, SAMPLER – Southern California Video Collection 1970–1993, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1993

"In the beginning we only had a verbal agreement and a handshake, and that’s still what we have now."

Stan Douglas

Installation view of the exhibition Stan Douglas: Hors-champs at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1993.

Installation view, Stan Douglas: Hors-champs, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1993

David Zwirner with Toba Khedoori, circa 1993.

David Zwirner with Toba Khedoori, circa 1993

Installation view of the exhibition Rachel Khedoori and Toba Khedoori at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1994.

Installation view, Rachel Khedoori and Toba Khedoori, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1994

"One of the best exhibitions now on view, by a beginner or not, is the first show by Toba Khedoori, at the David Zwirner Gallery . . . . Visual perception is paramount: attention is quietly drawn to every gesture and decision that went into these understated images."

Roberta Smith, The New York Times

Peter Pakesch dancing and David Zwirner playing drums at a Russian restaurant in Coney Island, following a Franz West show opening, dated 1994.

Peter Pakesch dancing and David Zwirner playing drums at a Russian restaurant in Coney Island, following a Franz West show opening, 1994. "There were no openings in the music program at the university in Cologne," wrote Nick Paumgarten in The New Yorker, "so [Zwirner] sent an audition tape to New York University of him playing the melody of Charlie Parker’s 'Ornithology' on the drums."

Front of showcard for the exhibition Luc Tuymans: Superstition at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1994.

Front of showcard for Luc Tuymans: Superstition, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1994. This exhibition marked Luc Tuymans's first gallery solo show as well as his United States debut.

Installation view of the exhibition Luc Tuymans: Superstition at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1994

Installation view, Luc Tuymans: Superstition, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1994

Polaroid of Angela Choon and Hanna Schouwink in back office of 43 Greene Street in New York, circa 1997.

Polaroid of Angela Choon and Hanna Schouwink in back office of 43 Greene Street, New York, circa 1997

David Zwirner and gallery staff, including Angela Choon, interacting with Franz West’s sculpture Passstücke (1983 to 1994), on view in the exhibition Mike Kelley; Paul McCarthy; Bruce Nauman; Franz West, dated 1995.

David Zwirner and gallery staff, including Angela Choon, interacting with Franz West’s Passstücke (1983–1994), on view in Mike Kelley; Paul McCarthy; Bruce Nauman; Franz West, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1995

Installation view of the exhibition Raymond Pettibon: Drawings and Wall Drawings at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1995.

Installation view, Raymond Pettibon: Drawings and Wall Drawings, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1995

Installation view of the exhibition Diana Thater: China, Crayons & Molly Numbers 1 through 10 at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1996.

Installation view, Diana Thater: China, Crayons & Molly Numbers 1 through 10, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1996

A photograph of Raymond Pettibon working on the wall drawing No Title (Well you needn’t . . . ) (1997) for his second gallery solo show, Raymond Pettibon at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1997.

Raymond Pettibon working on No Title (Well you needn’t . . . ) (1997), a wall drawing for his second gallery solo show, Raymond Pettibon, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1997

David Zwirner, wearing a Raymond Pettibon T-shirt, at the front desk of 43 Greene Street in New York, circa 1997.

David Zwirner, wearing a Raymond Pettibon T-shirt, at the front desk of 43 Greene Street, New York, circa 1997

Installation view of the exhibition John McCracken: Sculpture at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1997.

Installation view, John McCracken: Sculpture, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1997

Front of showcard for the exhibition John McCracken: Sculpture at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1997.

Front of showcard for John McCracken: Sculpture, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1997

David Zwirner with Marcel Dzama at the artist's first gallery solo show, Marcel Dzama: Drawings at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1998.

David Zwirner with Marcel Dzama at the artist's first gallery solo show, Marcel Dzama: Drawings, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1998

A fax to David Zwirner from John McCracken proposing a work for the five-year anniversary show, dated 1998.

Fax to David Zwirner from John McCracken proposing a work for the five-year anniversary show, 1998

An installation by Franz West, titled Untitled (Five Years DZ) created specially for Five Years, 1993 to 1998 at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1998.

Untitled (Five Years DZ) (1998), a work created by Franz West specially for Five Years, 1993–1998, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1998

An installation by Gordon Matta-Clark, titled Garbage Wall (dated 1970), on view in the exhibition Gordon Matta-Clark at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1999.

An installation of Gordon Matta-Clark's Garbage Wall (1970), on view in Gordon Matta-Clark, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1999. The gallery's recreation marked the first time this important work had been presented since 1970.

Front of showcard for the exhibition Gordon Matta-Clark at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1999, which features an image from the artist’s work Hair (dated 1972).

Front of showcard for Gordon Matta-Clark, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1999, which features an image from the artist’s work Hair (1972)

Hanna Schouwink with Yutaka Sone's installation Green Jungle (dated 1999), on view in the exhibition Yutaka Sone at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 1999.

Hanna Schouwink with Yutaka Sone's Green Jungle (1999), on view in Yutaka Sone, 43 Greene Street, New York, 1999

A fax to Franz West wishing him a happy birthday from David Zwirner and gallery staff and artist, dated 2000.

Fax to Franz West wishing him a happy birthday from David Zwirner and gallery staff and artist, 2000

Installation view of the exhibition Thomas Ruff: Nudes at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 2000.

Installation view, Thomas Ruff: Nudes, 43 Greene Street, New York, 2000

Lucas Zwirner with Jason Rhoades, circa 2000.

Lucas Zwirner with Jason Rhoades, circa 2000

David Zwirner sharing a moment with Raoul De Keyser at the artist’s first gallery solo show, Raoul De Keyser: Come on, play it again, at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 2001.

David Zwirner sharing a moment with Raoul De Keyser at the artist’s first gallery solo show, Raoul De Keyser: Come on, play it again, 43 Greene Street, New York, 2001

Bellatrix Hubert working in back office, with On Kawara's date paintings, on view in the exhibition On Kawara: One Million Years (Past and Future) at 43 Greene Street in New York, dated 2001.

Bellatrix Hubert working in back office, with On Kawara's date paintings, on view in On Kawara: One Million Years (Past and Future), 43 Greene Street, New York, 2001

Next chapter

Expanding to Chelsea and London