25 Years

next section

The Maturing Program

The inaugural exhibition in each space sets the tone for the next decade; always artist-centric, the gallery's program developed and matured across the different locations.

The West 20th Street gallery is focused on artists' estates, staging museum-quality exhibitions of work by American minimalists like Dan Flavin and Fred Sandback and twentieth-century masters such as Josef Albers and Giorgio Morandi. 

Exhibitions at West 19th Street, New York, and 24 Grafton Street, London, balance the program's historical component with presentations of recent painting, photography, sculpture, and video, among other mediums, by boundary-pushing contemporary artists like Kerry James Marshall, Oscar Murillo, Diana Thater, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Jordan Wolfson.

While the initial decade in Chelsea included a number of important firsts for the gallery—including acclaimed solo exhibitions by Francis Alÿs, Michaël Borremans, Isa Genzken, Alice Neel, Chris Ofili, Al Taylor, and Lisa Yuskavage—David Zwirner continued to gain momentum in its next decade. In a 2013 profile, T: The New York Times Style Magazine noted that David Zwirner "was making news with staccato regularity, lining up new shows by heavyweight artists—Jeff Koons, Richard Serra and Yayoi Kusama. This recent burst of empire building has seemed to presage a reordering of the New York art-world firmament."

In 2012, the gallery held its first showcase of art created by the ever-expanding David Zwirner staff of art handlers, sales assistants, registrars, and photographers. People Who Work Here became a recurring opportunity to celebrate the dedicated team that supports the gallery's artists and programming.

David Zwirner helping to install the exhibition, Mamma Andersson: Rooms Under the Influence, at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2006.

David Zwirner (left) helping to install Mamma Andersson: Rooms Under the Influence, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2006

Mamma Andersson during the installation of her first gallery solo show, Mamma Andersson: Rooms Under the Influence at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2006.

Mamma Andersson during the installation of her first gallery solo show, Mamma Andersson: Rooms Under the Influence, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2006

David Zwirner with Isa Genzken, circa 2000.

David Zwirner with Isa Genzken, circa 2000

A painting by Michaël Borremans, titled The Loan, dated 2011.

Front of showcard for Michaël Borremans: Trickland, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2003

Installation view of the exhibition Michaël Borremans: Trickland at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2003.

Installation view, Michaël Borremans: Trickland, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2003

Veronique Ansorge, Director, and Thomas Ruff at the opening of the exhibition Thomas Ruff: press++ at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Veronique Ansorge, Director, and Thomas Ruff at the opening of Thomas Ruff: press++, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2016 

A chromogenic print by Thomas Ruff, titled r.phg.06, dated 2014.

Thomas Ruff, r.phg.s.04, 2013

Installation view of Lisa Yuskavage: New Work at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2006.

Installation view, Lisa Yuskavage: New Work, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2006

Installation view of the exhibition Al Taylor: Early Work at Zwirner & Wirth at 32 East 69th Street in New York, dated 2008.

Installation view, Al Taylor: Early Work, Zwirner & Wirth, 32 East 69th Street, New York, 2008

Neo Rauch and David Zwirner during the installation of the exhibition Rosa Loy: 9 Wege at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2006.

Neo Rauch and David Zwirner during the installation of Rosa Loy: 9 Wege, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2006

Front and back of showcard for the exhibition Chris Ofili: Devil’s Pie at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2007.

Front and back of showcard for Chris Ofili: Devil’s Pie, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2007

Front of showcard for the exhibition Francis Alÿs: SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING POETIC CAN BECOME POLITICAL AND SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING POLITICAL CAN BECOME POETIC at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2007.

Front of showcard for Francis Alÿs: SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING POETIC CAN BECOME POLITICAL AND SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING POLITICAL CAN BECOME POETIC, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2007

A painting by Francis Alÿs, titled Untitled, dated 2011 to 2012.

Francis Alÿs, Untitled, 2011-2012 

James Welling and David Zwirner during the installation of the artist's second gallery solo show, James Welling at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2007.

James Welling and David Zwirner during the installation of the artist's second gallery solo show, James Welling, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2007

Marcel Dzama incognito at the book signing for the catalogue published on the occasion of his gallery solo show Marcel Dzama: Even the Ghost of the Past at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2008.

Marcel Dzama incognito at the book signing for the catalogue published on the occasion of his gallery solo show Marcel Dzama: Even the Ghost of the Past, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2008. TimeOut's reporter recalled, "[Spike] Jonze assured me that a real live bear, borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, would be joining us for the book signing."

Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Raymond Pettibon at the joint opening of the exhibitions Philip-Lorca diCorcia: Hustlers at 525 and 533 West 19th Street, and Raymond Pettibon: To Wit at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2013.

Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Raymond Pettibon at the joint opening of Philip-Lorca diCorcia: Hustlers, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, and Raymond Pettibon: To Wit, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2013

Suzan Frecon and Bellatrix Hubert laying out the artist's 2017 solo exhibition Suzan Frecon: recent oil paintings at her studio in upstate New York, dated 2017.

Suzan Frecon and Bellatrix Hubert laying out the artist's 2017 solo exhibition Suzan Frecon: recent oil paintings at her studio in upstate New York, 2017

Gallery staff in Doug Wheeler's installation SA MI 75 DZ NY 12 (2012), on view in the exhibition Doug Wheeler at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2012.

Gallery staff in Doug Wheeler's SA MI 75 DZ NY 12 (2012), on view in Doug Wheeler, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2012

Installation view of the exhibition Ad Reinhardt at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2013.

Installation view, Ad Reinhardt, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2013

Press preview with Robert Storr of Ad Reinhardt, 537 West 20th Street, New York, November 9, 2013

Sales Director Justine Durrett and Jockum Nordström at the opening of the exhibition For the insects and the hounds at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2015.

Sales Director Justine Durrett and Jockum Nordström at the opening of For the insects and the hounds, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2015

Press preview with Antoon Melissen and David Leiber of Jan Schoonhoven, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2015

David Zwirner visiting Oscar Murillo's studio, dated 2013.

David Zwirner visits Oscar Murillo's studio, 2013

Installation view of the exhibition Wolfgang Tillmans: PCR at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Installation view, Wolfgang Tillmans: PCR, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2015

David Zwirner and Wolfgang Tillmans at the press preview for the artist's first gallery solo show, Wolfgang Tillmans: PCR at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2015.

David Zwirner and Wolfgang Tillmans at the press preview for the artist's first gallery solo show, Wolfgang Tillmans: PCR, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2015

An animated gif of installation views of the exhibition, Isa Genzken: New Work at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2005.

Installation views, Isa Genzken: New Work, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2005

A painting by Michaël Borremans, titled The Loan, dated 2011.

Michaël Borremans, The Loan, 2011

Installation view the exhibition Thomas Ruff: New Work at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2005.

Installation view, Thomas Ruff: New Work, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2005

Thomas Ruff at the opening of his solo exhibition Thomas Ruff: New Works at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2016.

Thomas Ruff at the opening of his solo exhibition Thomas Ruff: New Works, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2016

Installation view of the exhibition Marlene Dumas: Selected Works at Zwirner & Wirth at 32 East 69th Street in New York, dated 2005.

Installation view, Marlene Dumas: Selected Works, Zwirner & Wirth, 32 East 69th Street, New York, 2005

A photograph of a sculpture by Al Taylor, titled Untitled, dated 1990.

Al Taylor, Untitled, 1990

A painting by Neo Rauch, titled Der Blaue Fisch, dated 2014.

Neo Rauch, Der Blaue Fisch, 2014. Now in the collection of National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.

Installation view of the exhibition Chris Ofili: Devil’s Pie at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2007.

Installation view, Chris Ofili: Devil’s Pie, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2007

David Zwirner toasting Chris Ofili at the opening of the artist's first gallery solo show, Chris Ofili: Devil’s Pie at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2007.

David Zwirner toasting Chris Ofili at the opening of the artist's first gallery solo show, Chris Ofili: Devil’s Pie, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2007. They are standing in front of works by Raymond Pettibon, concurrently on view in Raymond Pettibon: Here’s Your Irony Back (The Big Picture), 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2007.

Francis Alÿs during the installation of his first gallery solo show, Francis Alÿs: SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING POETIC CAN BECOME POLITICAL AND SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING POLITICAL CAN BECOME POETIC, dated 2007.

Photo: Jason Schmidt

Francis Alÿs during the installation of his first gallery solo show, Francis Alÿs: SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING POETIC CAN BECOME POLITICAL AND SOMETIMES DOING SOMETHING POLITICAL CAN BECOME POETIC, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2007

An inkjet print by James Welling, titled 0806, dated 2006.

James Welling, 0806, 2006. An edition is now in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.

Visitors at the opening of the exhibition Philip-Lorca diCorcia: Thousand at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2009.

Visitors at the opening of Philip-Lorca diCorcia: Thousand, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2009

Installation view of the exhibition Suzan Frecon: recent painting at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2010.

Installation view, Suzan Frecon: recent painting, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2010. composition in four colors 2, 2010 is now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Installation view of the exhibition Doug Wheeler at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2012.
Installation view, Doug Wheeler, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2012
A photograph of visitors lining up for the exhibition Doug Wheeler at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2012.

Visitors lining up for Doug Wheeler, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2012. Constructed within the gallery's architecture, SA MI 75 DZ NY 12 (2012) was the first "infinity environment" ever shown by the artist in New York. The work is now in the Pinault Collection – Palazzo Grassi, Venice.

Front of showcard for the exhibition Ad Reinhardt at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2013.

Front of showcard for Ad Reinhardt, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2013. Organized by Robert Storr to celebrate the centenary of Ad Reinhardt’s birth, this exhibition marked the gallery’s first presentation of the artist’s work. It was awarded Best Show in a Commercial Space in New York by the International Association of Art Critics/USA.

De Wain Valentine and Kristine Bell at the press preview for the exhibition De Wain Valentine: Works from the 1960s and 1970s at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2015.

De Wain Valentine and Kristine Bell at the press preview for De Wain Valentine: Works from the 1960s and 1970s, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2015

Acrylic on a papier-mâché relief on plywood by Jan Schoonhoven, titled R69-36, dated 1969.

Jan Schoonhoven, R69-36, 1969

Installation view of the exhibition Oscar Murillo: binary function at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2015.

Installation view, Oscar Murillo: binary function, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2015

A photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans, titled Frank Ocean, dated 2015.

Wolfgang Tillmans, Frank Ocean, 2015. This work was included in Wolfgang Tillmans: PCR, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2015.

Photo by Wolfgang Tillmans that the artist gave as a gift to gallery staff who helped with the exhibition Wolfgang Tillmans: PCR at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Photo by Wolfgang Tillmans that the artist gave as a gift to gallery staff who helped with Wolfgang Tillmans: PCR, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2015

A photograph of Bridget Riley, dated 2015.

Photo: Felix Clay

Bridget Riley, 2015

Installation view of the exhibition Bridget Riley: The Stripe Paintings 1961 to 2014 at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2014.

Installation view, Bridget Riley: The Stripe Paintings 1961 2014, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2014

Installation view of the exhibition Giorgio Morandi at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Installation view, Giorgio Morandi, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2015

A painting by Giorgio Morandi, titled Natura morta (Still Life), dated 1947.

Giorgio Morandi, Natura morta (Still Life), 1947

Installation view of the exhibition Lisa Yuskavage at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2009.

Installation view, Lisa Yuskavage, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2009

A painting by Lisa Yuskavage, titled Bonfire, dated 2013 to 2015.

Lisa Yuskavage, Bonfire, 2013-2015. Now in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

A painting by Palermo, titled Wooster Street, dated 1975.

Palermo, Wooster Street, 1975

Installation view of the exhibition Fred Sandback at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2009.

Installation view, Fred Sandback, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2009

Installation view of the exhibition Palermo: Works 1973 to 1976 at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2015.

Installation view, Palermo: Works 1973 – 1976, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2015

Installation view of the exhibition Sherrie Levine: Pie Town at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2017.

Installation view, Sherrie Levine: Pie Town, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2017

An archival pigment print by Christopher Williams, titled Standardpose [Standard Pose] 1,0 Zwerg–‐Brabanter, silber, Düsseldorf 2013 (Vera Spix, Elsdorf) Ring number: EE-D13 13-‐901, green Studio Rhein Verlag, Düsseldorf November 21, 2013, dated 2014.

Christopher Williams
Standardpose [Standard Pose]
1,0 Zwerg-Brabanter, silber, Düsseldorf 2013 (Vera Spix, Elsdorf)
Ring number: EE-D13 13-901, green
Studio Rhein Verlag, Düsseldorf
November 21, 2013
, 2014

Installation view of the exhibition Yun Hyong-keun at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2017.

Installation view, Yun Hyong-keun, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2017

Installation view of the exhibition Donald Judd at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2011.

Installation view, Donald Judd, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2011

Installation view of the exhibition Concrete Cuba at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2015.

Installation view, Concrete Cuba, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2015

A painting by Josef Albers, titled Homage to the Square, dated 1971.

Josef Albers, Homage to the Square, 1971

Installation view of the exhibition Jeff Koons: Gazing Ball at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2013.

Installation view, Jeff Koons: Gazing Ball, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2013

Installation view of the exhibition Dan Flavin: Series and Progressions at 525 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2009.

Installation view, Dan Flavin: Series and Progressions, 525 West 19th Street, New York, 2009. untitled (to Helga and Carlo, with respect and affection) (1974) is now in the collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.

Installation view of the exhibition Marlene Dumas: Against the Wall at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2010.

Installation view, Marlene Dumas: Against the Wall, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2010

A painting by Marlene Dumas, titled Wall Weeping, dated 2009.

Marlene Dumas, Wall Weeping, 2009

Installation view of the exhibition Josef Albers: Grey Steps, Grey Scales, Grey Ladders at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Installation view, Josef Albers: Grey Steps, Grey Scales, Grey Ladders, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2016

A photograph of Richard Serra's sculpture, Equal (2015), being installed in 537 West 20th Street in New York, for the exhibition Richard Serra: Equal, dated 2015.

Richard Serra's Equal (2015) being installed in 537 West 20th Street, New York, for Richard Serra: Equal, 2015. As Vulture noted, "The artist's latest work, Equal, a series of paired 40-ton stacked steel cubes now on display at David Zwirner's West 20th Street gallery, required master riggers, hydraulic gantries, and a custom runway just to be installed in a building itself expressly designed to accommodate artists' big ideas."  ​

Richard Serra's sculpture Equal (2015) being craned into 537 West 20th Street in New York, for the exhibition Richard Serra: Equal, dated 2015.

Richard Serra's Equal (2015) being craned into 537 West 20th Street, New York, for Richard Serra: Equal, 2015.

Visitors at the exhibition Richard Serra: Equal at 537 West 20th Street, New York in dated 2015.

Visitors at Richard Serra: Equal, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2015

Installation view of the exhibition Carol Bove: Polka Dots at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Installation view, Carol Bove: Polka Dots, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2016

Carol Bove and Johanna Burton at the press preview for the exhibition Carol Bove: Polka Dots at 525 and 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Carol Bove and Johanna Burton at the press preview for Carol Bove: Polka Dots, 525 and 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2016

A dispersion on 2 different types of fabric by Sigmar Polke, titled Mondlandschaft mit Schilf (Moonlit Landscape with Reeds), dated 1969.

Sigmar Polke, Mondlandschaft mit Schilf (Moonlit Landscape with Reeds), 1969

Front of showcard for the exhibition People Who Work Here at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2012.

Front of showcard for People Who Work Here, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2012

artists during the installation of the exhibition People Who Work Here at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2012.

Photo: Jason Schmidt

Artists during the installation of People Who Work Here, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2012. This exhibition devoted to artists on staff was curated by Rawson Projects, whose then co-directors James Morrill and Chris Rawson also work at David Zwirner (in the Accounts and Archive departments, respectively).

People Who Work Here, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2016

An animated gif of the exhibition People Who Work Here at 519 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2012.

People Who Work Here, 519 West 19th Street, New York, 2012

Installation view of the exhibition Carol Bove: The Plastic Unit at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2015.

Installation view, Carol Bove: The Plastic Unit, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2015

Installation view of the exhibition Sigmar Polke: Eine Winterreise at 537 West 20th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Installation view, Sigmar Polke: Eine Winterreise, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 2016

Installation view of the exhibition Lucas Arruda at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2017.

Installation view, Lucas Arruda, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2017

Lucas Arruda and Rodolphe von Hofmannsthal installing the exhibition Lucas Arruda at 24 Grafton Street in London, dated 2017.

Lucas Arruda and Rodolphe von Hofmannsthal installing Lucas Arruda, 24 Grafton Street, London, 2017
 

artists in the exhibition People Who Work Here at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Artists in People Who Work Here, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2016. This exhibition, the second in the series of showcasing artists who work at David Zwirner, was organized by Marina Gluckman and Jaime Schwartz, both in the gallery's Research and Exhibitions department.

A performance by Anicon, art handler Owen Rundquist's band, for the opening of the exhibition People Who Work Here at 533 West 19th Street in New York, dated 2016.

Performance by Anicon, art handler Owen Rundquist's (left) band, for the opening of People Who Work Here, 533 West 19th Street, New York, 2016