Sunday, the Dia:Beacon celebrated the opening of Robert Irwin’s “Excursus: Homage to the Square3.” Nestled on the banks of the Hudson River, the foundation hosted more than 500 guests who enjoyed a private preview of the show, which opened yesterday. The Spring Benefit was co-chaired by Elisabeth Karpidas, Yana Peel, and Howard Rachofsky and was the first under new Dia Art Foundation director Jessica Morgan’s leadership.
The exhibition marks the first return of Irwin’s work to public view in 15 years, since its original premiere at the Dia Center for the Arts in New York City. The repurposed exhibition was adjusted for the new space and is to be accompanied by a symposium and an upcoming publication. The installation, a self-described experiment in design, explores the physical, sensory, and temporary states of architecture. Viewers are welcomed to explore the interior gallery layouts, which feature intricate cubic chambers, manipulated lights and shadows, and an extensive maze, which can be entered from various points.
Irwin is best recognized for his site-specific works and landscape works, and is associated with the 1960s Light and Space movement, for which he is often hailed as a pioneer. “Excursus: Homage to the Square3” will remain on view through June of 2017.
